The Children's Progress
by TheMorningPaper
Summary: Years after the battle under Ba Sing Se, Katara and the Avatar are presumed dead and a successful General Zuko now leads his troops fighting rebel armies across the Earth Kingdom, but one of the rebels seems to have familiar face.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

He remembered it all too clearly. Much too clearly. Her disregarded body sprawled up against a crystal wall, unsure of whether or not she still retained a pulse. He hadn't wanted her to get in the way, but that was hard to ask for, considering she always made it her duty to get in the middle of things.

He hated having to travel to Ba Sing Se ever since the fight. It was the fight that made him a hero and a murderer. The Avatar was one thing, killing him was a necessity for the Fire Nation to retain its power, but there was no need for the girl to be so brutally killed. She just always had to get in the way. It was a shame too, had she been a firebender, she would have made a great ally. Her loyalty was unquestionable and even in her final moments she continued to fight until it wasn't physically possible anymore.

But what haunted Zuko the most was that he had to just stand there and watch her die, when they had so clearly connected not moments before. But it was either her, or finally being able to go home, and Zuko couldn't give up the dream he'd been fighting for for so long just for a girl he barely even knew.

The Avatar already lying dead on the ground, Zuko watched as Azula delivered a final blow to Katara's already gushing scalp. She had fought well, but by the time Aang went down, she had lost too much energy to be able to fight off everybody by herself.

Insisting that they shouldn't waste any more time, Azula made the order to return to the Fire Nation to report the Avatar's death. What happened to his body, or hers for that matter, Zuko didn't know, but at times he didn't want to. He recalled his last action towards the girl. As the others were preparing to leave the Earth Kingdom, Zuko silently and quickly turned back to the waterbender and unclasped the blood-drenched necklace hanging from her still body. Better he took it than some asshole who'd steal it and pawn it for booze money. Zuko didn't know if it was right, but it felt like something he needed to do.

_I should have at least buried her or something._ He sighed.

"General Zuko!" Zuko stiffed and gasped back to reality as he quickly stashed the blue necklace back into his pocket. "The troops are ready to move on sir." An officer called into his tent.

"Yes, thank you. I'll be out in a moment."

Four years had passed since the Avatar's death and Zuko had already established his place as a general. Of course, it helped greatly that his father remained Fire Lord, but Zuko silently knew he had only been given such a position by his father so that he could no longer meddle in affairs back home.

_Any chance to get rid of me._ He thought.

Hunting down people of the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes wasn't Zuko's ideal way to be living his life. But it got him out into the world again, which was something he surprisingly found himself missing once he returned home a hero. Zuko didn't enjoy killing either, but with time and experience it became something so second nature to him, and if demolishing the numerous rebellion armies that were quickly coming into play in the war would give him something to fight for, then so be it.

As he tightened a few spots that had loosened in his armor, Zuko reminded himself to be more careful about where he kept the waterbender's necklace. As he took it where ever he traveled, there were times when he occasionally misplaced it, or it would occasionally fall out of his pockets and he'd have to secretly go back and search for it, although its remaining beautiful quality never made it hard to find. Although the piece of jewelry never meant much to him symbolically, it tended to keep him calm in the face of battle. Never having anything left of his mother's possessions after she had disappeared, the necklace gave him some sense that perhaps Katara was watching over him, but hearing the thought over again made him chuckle in disbelief.

_As if she'd ever watch over me in anything other than loathing. _

Of course, rumors still spread throughout the world that the Avatar and perhaps even the girl were still alive, but Zuko flushed the thoughts from his mind to maintain purpose and professionalism. If the Avatar had lived, he would have reappeared by now and there would be no need to search for the next reincarnated Avatar, but that was someone else's job, a job Zuko wanted nothing to do with. _Not again._

Emerging from his tent, he faced his rambling troops doing nothing but fooling around and slacking off, their irritating child-like actions starting to piss him off.

"Hey!" he called loudly, but received no attention. "Shut the fuck up!" the men quickly silenced seeing the steam starting to escape from Zuko's mouth. Breathing out the smoke, he calmed and simply stated, "Let's go".


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Although Zuko had matured greatly throughout the past few years, his temperament had not much adjusted. Listening to his men behind him grovel and groan about their aching feet did his anger no justice, but it was better than when they'd discuss the Kuro Kitsune, otherwise known as the KK.

The KK's status, again was highly just another rumor, but it was one that Zuko found himself more likely to believe. They were told to be the strongest of the rebellion troops. Seemingly undefeatable, they were rumored to have murdered over 10,000 fire nation soldiers alone, but numbers were easily interchangeable. Made up of a mix of highly trained earthbenders and water tribe warriors, the KK was reportedly able to take out Fire Nation troops in a matter of minutes and then silently disappear until the next battle. By the details he'd heard of their military tactics, they seemed to have a solid leader, as opposed to the wild, untamed rebel troops he usually came across. Who this leader was, Zuko had no clue, but he was not one that Zuko was eager to face. True he was not afraid of going to battle having done it so many times now, but Zuko never looked forward to the chance of seeing some of his men die, no matter how irritating they could be.

The sky refrained from any color except a looming grey that had been present for hours. The recently ceased rain left a strong residue on the grass and made it hard for Zuko's men to travel, particularly uphill. This had gone on for days. On and off rain followed by his incompetent men not being able to walk straight, whether it was due to the wet grass, or the amount of alcohol they'd consumed, Zuko did not know, or care for that matter, but it was begging to get on his nerves just like everything else.

Unfortunately, Zuko had to admit to himself that he was still not as happy as he'd imagined himself when he'd finally gotten the chance to return home. He had missed the royal lifestyle, but had grown so accustomed to taking care of himself that he rarely ever called upon servants. He attended meetings and kept himself well aware of what was going on in the Fire Nation, as he would need to when and if he ever became Fire Lord, but that prospect had started to look bleak in recent years. Zuko had once imagined himself to already be Fire Lord by now, being 20 years old, but his father still refused to give him any sort of higher title than he already held, and Zuko very often heard whispers throughout the palace that it was Azula who was being more considered for the part of new ruler, even though it was not in her natural birthright. This thought did not surprise Zuko, for Azula had always been the sibling that attracted more attention between the two. She was a natural born leader and was able to make convincingly emotional speeches at the age of 7. Anyone who was given the chance to listen would follow her anywhere within 10 minutes of her talking. Zuko knew that on the outside, Azula would seem to be the obvious choice for a leader, but he also recognized her flaws. She never thought her plans through, or considered the consequences. Even though her plans rarely failed, it was only a matter of time before fear no longer worked as her ally. If she did end up being Fire Lord, it would only be natural for the nation's citizens to start questioning her methods, and although she'd be able to give a convincing speech, she'd have no support for her argument other than the purpose of "because I want it so". Her tendencies to act on her emotions as soon as she felt them would be her downfall and the possible collapse of the Fire Nation as well. This was something that Zuko hoped his father had also recognized, but when he was told to enter the war first-hand and start taking down rebel armies, Zuko knew he wasn't going to be Fire Lord anytime soon, especially since his new job was one far better suited for Azula rather than himself.

Zuko remembered the people that were able to keep him happy, but had all eventually disappeared on him. His uncle had been sent to the Boiling Rock prison right after the incident in Ba Sing Se for attempting to help the Avatar, but had somehow escaped sometime after the comet and the seizing of Ba Sing Se and his whereabouts remained unknown. Whether Iroh was alive or not, Zuko had no clue, but quietly hoped that he was happy wherever he was, even though it was not wise to wish good fortune on traitors to the Fire Nation.

Mai was the only other person he'd thought about. She kept him happy for a time, but even she too eventually left him for something better. Their relationship had slowly dried up when they were never able to agree on anything or enjoy each other's company anymore. Residing on the belief that since Zuko never considered anything she'd advise to him, he'd never make a good Fire Lord and therefore did not want to stay with him. She'd fled to Ember Island and Zuko heard she was also to be engaged, but the matter was mute and Zuko didn't bother wasting time to think about his failed love attempts.

All in all, fighting in the war was not Zuko's ideal position, but it kept him thoroughly occupied and he enjoyed the days when they'd just travel and he could simply enjoy his surroundings and calm his mind.

Zuko silently remained lost in his thoughts before he was able to realize that something in the air didn't seem entirely right. The earth seemed particularly silent, as if nothing was moving and even the weeds stopped growing for a minute. The wind continued to blow steadily, but it was as if everything thing it touched was too nervous to make any kind of sound effect. The only thing Zuko could hear were the whispered groans and complains coming from his soldiers, but that was something he had learned to tune out for quite some time now. The sky was dark and eerie, and the wind kept growing warmer, similar to how the earth acts right before a massive storm hits. Zuko could feel each breath he took gently tickle the inside of his stomach.

Only for a second could Zuko see a flash of blue streaking past through the corner of his eye and hitching his breath he subconsciously grabbed at the necklace in his pocket to ensure that it remained in his possession. He rubbed it gently while quickly yelling at his men to halt and be ready on the defense in case of an attack. Confused, the soldiers stopped to look around, but lost their grasp on the situation when a row of men up front yelped at something grabbing their legs. It was as if the earth had come alive and risen to clamp itself around their ankles, making them immobile. As they bent down to try and dig themselves out, their hands quickly suffered the same torment and were sucked into the dirt, no longer allowing any ability to firebend. Zuko watched carefully as his men hunched over in fear and started to scream in pain as the earth closed in on their limbs, shattering the bones in their hands and feet.

A fog started to roll in over their screams. _Oh perfect timing_,Zuko thought sarcastically as he mentally prepared himself for what he knew would be a bloody battle. The rest of his men were clearly starting to panic, jittering about and yelling nonsense about the Kuro Kitsune.

"Hold yourselves together! Spread out and take out whatever rebels you can find!" Zuko commanded as an iron tipped spear flashed by his head only to fully penetrate the skull of the soldier standing next to him. Now running on full adrenaline, Zuko blocked out all the screams and moans surrounding him and listened for movement in every direction he could muster. Focusing in full awareness, he was able to pick up something that sounded somewhat like splashing water. Moving swiftly, careful to use the fog to his advantage, Zuko began to generate some heat in his palms while making his way across the field.

He could feel himself coming in closer on the rebel until it rapidly disappeared. Zuko stopped to listen for it once again, but was cut off when someone grabbed his arm and spun him around, only to land a perfectly placed punch directly in the face, slightly knocking him down. He then brought all of his energy through his body and centered into his palms to create a pair of fire daggers. He would have preferred more traditional firebending methods, but at this close of a distance between him and his enemy, free-range firebending would prove to be too slow to counter any attacks.

Seeing another flash of blue, Zuko threw another strike in its direction, but only caught the hem of its clothing. A splash of water came up to slash him across the chest, but only knocked him back a bit thanks to the armor tightly strapped across his torso. Now certain that he was facing a water bender, Zuko couldn't help but to think of the one he'd faced those few years ago. He felt the urge to fiddle with the necklace in his pocket, but told himself that this was definitely not the time or the place to get sentimental.

It felt like hours that Zuko was fighting with this enemy. Every blow he received exploded with pain, while it felt like he was barely doing any damage to his foe. Everything seemed to slow down as the air became heavy and Zuko was able to fit in a few successful swings, but the waterbender still refused to go down. It was hard to imagine since they had become so infamous in his eyes, but Zuko came to realize that they must have been fighting the KK. He'd never had a battle last so long with so little success, at least from what he could determine. He had no idea how many men he had left, if any at all. He could no longer hear anything from his surroundings except for the sounds coming from the waterbender and himself. He had first presumed them to be a man due to the weight and force that came with their punches as well as the fact the Zuko didn't come across many female warriors these days, but as the fog slowly began to lift he could start to make out a more womanly figure.

Their environment was starting to come back into vision. After a quick fluid jab at his neck, Zuko could see his enemy pause, perhaps to take in the status of the battle, but Zuko wasted no time and took advantage of the gap to deliver a blow to her head as hard as he could. His fist steaming, he felt his knuckles harshly smash into her cranium. Stumbling, she threw herself backwards to give more distance between the two of them, though she was quickly losing the ability to transfer thought commands into action.

With the fog completely lifted, Zuko became paralyzed as he gazed into the pain-streaked eyes of the woman he'd struck. Their icy blue color contrasted with the rose tint spraying from her cheeks and hid behind the swaying parts of hair that had fallen from her loose braid.

_Am I fighting a ghost?_ Zuko thought, still in belief that he'd suffered too many blows and his mind was playing cruel tricks on him.

Observing his seeming inability to move, Katara focused a sac of water to form around her hand and froze it into a fist of ice. As quickly as she could muster, she ran straight towards her enemy and connected her fist with his temple before staggering back to watch its effectiveness.

The pain filled smack to the head freed Zuko of his immobility as he rapidly began to lose his senses and fell to the ground. The last thing he saw was the waterbender sway a bit and eventually collapse onto the dirt right across from him before he completely blacked out.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

The slow, echoed breathing escaping his lungs caused Zuko to stir momentarily before being able to regain full awareness to his surroundings. Wet dew and dirt streaked across his face, or perhaps it was just a mixture of fresh and dried blood. The air smelled heavy with smoke and looked like it too. Zuko wheezed as he tried to gain composer and lift himself off the muddy ground, but his lungs felt as if they were filled to the brim with gravel and his vision kept going through on and off blurry spasms. He took his time to attempt to take in his surroundings as he sat up and rested his forehead on his bent kneecap.

The battle had clearly ended. Numerous bodies, most of them seeming to look like Fire Nation soldiers, were sprawled out amongst the bloody grass, unmoving. They'd obviously lost, except for a small amount of earthbenders, the KK didn't seem to have suffered as much as Zuko was at the moment. _What the fuck just happened? How could I have been so weak?_

There seemed to be some soldiers of Zuko's who had survived and were slowly getting themselves to stand up as Zuko was. Perhaps about 10, maybe 11 of them had managed to keep their lives, at least counting those who hadn't fled during the battle, which Zuko imagined there was a large number of.

Looking over his shoulder, Zuko saw someone who caught his attention even more. She carefully pushed some of her wounded soldiers up across a hill, fleeing the scene. Zuko tried to stand up and run after her, to call out her name, but he only crashed back down to the ground. Furious that he couldn't reach her, Zuko watched her leave and for some, rather sick reason, silently hoped that this all wasn't a dream. Before vanishing out of sight, Zuko could see Katara carefully look behind her shoulder and stare at him with something that seemed like wonder, but he couldn't be sure at such a long distance.

_Gone again._ . .

Slowly and carefully, Zuko lifted himself up off the ground, staggering towards his fallen men to check for survivors. Almost three quarters of his troops had been wiped out. They'd been literally massacred. With the small amount of soldiers remaining, Zuko carried on and lead them to the closest river they could find in order to wash up and tend to their wounds. When they had time, they'd have to go back to gather the names and bury the rest of their deceased comrades, but it be easier if there weren't so many of them. For the first time in a long time, Zuko's men were completely silent.

Dipping a rag in the water and wiping some of the dried blood off from the back of his neck, Zuko tried to keep his head from spinning. He had to find her again, but he couldn't put his men in any more danger, what was left of his men at least.

"Is everyone alright?" he called out to them as they all nodded in affirmation.

They were clearly not alright, but at least none of them were on the verge of dying. They sat along the river's edge, attentively licking their wounds and wrapping bandages while Zuko stopped to look at the reflections in the water.

_I could follow her on my own, but she'd probably try to kill me on the spot. _

But Zuko had to find her and question her. If she was still alive, then the chances of the Avatar still breathing had increased even more. How he'd get her to talk, he had no idea, but the issue would nip at him forever if he didn't do something about it. It was his responsibility to the Fire Nation after all.

Perhaps if he could muster up the strength, he could capture her and brings her back to the Fire Nation, but she'd just be sentenced to death once people figured out who she was, and that wasn't something Zuko wanted to relive.

"Do you need any help General?" a soldier asked, observing that Zuko had stopped tending to his injuries.

"No, thank you. Tend to yourself."

Later that evening they set up camp a little ways from the river. His men were slowly starting to come back into themselves. They'd never experienced a battle like this, with so many losses, so many friends just suddenly gone. He hated seeing them like this. It made him enraged at the KK, but terrified all the same. Of course, soldiers were trained to deal with matters such as loss before being sent off into battle in order to avoid mental scaring, but being firebenders, their attitudes and the impact of growing up in a powerful society influenced their military prowess. Pride was one thing, but having it slapped the shit out of you was another.

Zuko knew he had to find Katara before she traveled too far away. He needed answers out of her, yes, but Zuko wasn't going to ignore that it also felt like some personal conquest for inner peace. He was sure she wasn't going to accept "sorry I tried to kill you all those years ago" as a proper apology, but if he could at least voice out his guilt and demolish it forever, maybe he could kill two birds with one stone.

He'd leave tonight, alone, and plan to be back by morning. He couldn't put his men in more danger, and in the state they were in, it'd basically be the same as sending them to their graves.

The moon seemed especially bright as if it illuminated everything that resided under it, making it hard for Zuko to sneak around, or maybe he was just being paranoid. He dressed down in all black, he would have liked to have worn his armor for protection if and when he needed it, but it was too loud and restricted his flexibility too much for an occasion such as this, but he decided to take his swords just in case something went really wrong.

He made his way quietly away from the troop, going back to the scene of the battle and tracing the dried footprint molds in the mud that he knew weren't those made from Fire Nation boots. Traveling mostly uphill, he followed stealthily for about two miles before finally seeing the hint of a fire and the smell of smoke rising from it.

Keeping close to the ground he'd reached the top of the last hill and observed silently. They'd settled in nicely in the valley below. Most of them appeared to have already gone to sleep, but some still remained sitting around the fire and chatting, which would make Zuko's entrance harder to go unnoticed. Still lying on his stomach, he slowly rose to try and get a better look of where Katara might be hiding.

"It's a little late for this isn't it?" A smooth voice came from behind him. About 10 feet away from him Katara stood with her hands in her pockets, her eyes bright and watching him intently. "Or are you actually ready for round two?"

Zuko turned to face her completely. "Do you remember me?" he asked carefully, almost whispering, while keeping an eye on her stance in case she moved to attack.

"It would be a little hard to forget you." Her voice had changed. It had become more calmed and elegant since Ba Sing Se, more mature almost.

"I . . . I thought you were dead."

"I'm sure that would've been more convenient for you." She eyed him up and down, noticing the swords on his back, but kept her main focus on where his hands resided.

"No . . . no." She'd grown up nicely. Her body was fuller, healthier looking with more toned muscle to fill out her clothes. He probably should have noticed this while they were fighting, but he had more confusing thoughts in his mind at the time. Her eyes stood out in the night, bright like a cats, but blue like the ocean in a storm. "You . . . haunted me." He tried to explain to her. She snapped her eyes up to meet his.

"What do you want Zuko?" It was different to hear her say his name. It had been so long since someone had called him without putting the word _general _in it.

"Just to talk. That's all. No fighting."

"That's not particularly your style."

"I've changed in the past couple years."

"Yeah, you say that a lot." She said, remembering back to the crystal caves. She was glaring at him now. He wasn't doing very well, but at least she wasn't attacking him.

"Can we go somewhere? Please?" He tried to be a subtle as he could. "I just want some questions answered. I'm sure you do too."

She thought it over, seemingly conflicted with herself, but finally gave in and sighed, motioning for him to follow her into the nearby woods. He watched as her loose braid swung from side to side at the bottom of her waist with each step she took deeper into the forest. Her shirt was tattered and ripped, still showing blood stains, but whether it was her blood or his, Zuko didn't ask. It fit snuggly around her torso, showing the muscles in her back and shoulders as she walked with a more confident and experienced gait. _She's so . . ._

"What are here to ask?" she questioned, cutting off his thoughts while stopping at a tree next to a nearby stream. He searched his brain.

"Is the Avatar still alive?"

"No." she said sternly.

"No?"

"If he was, don't you think he'd be with me?"

"You seem pretty okay with him being dead." Zuko knew he was treading on dangerous ground, but he wasn't expecting Katara to give him the immediate truth.

"It's been four years. And even so that doesn't mean that I still don't grieve. Besides, you were there; you should remember how it happened. I believe you even got credit for it." She said, her voice turning sour. He looked at her solemnly.

"I thought you were dead too. I want to know what else I was wrong about."

"Then I can't tell you any more than what I've already said. I think it'd be wise of you to leave now."

"Wait!" he called for her as she turned to go. She stopped but didn't face him. "I'm glad that you're alive . . . I . . . I never wanted _you _to die." Her back stiffed and shook a little.

"You sure hid it well." She said trembling slightly.

"Katara, you don't know how bad I . . ."

"Leave Zuko!" she cut him off, twisting her head slightly to glare at him with one eye. "We'll be back to finish you off. I'm giving you a warning now, so in the next couple of days you'd better be either ready to fight, or gone by the time we get there." And with that she fled into the darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

It felt like hours that Zuko was walking back to camp. His feet felt like they were made of lead and his cranium felt flushed and fuzzy. He hadn't gotten anywhere tonight, certainly not as much as he would have liked to. Katara wasn't exactly friendly to him, but then again, he didn't expect her to be. She hadn't attacked him, but her threat that she was going to scared Zuko for the sake of his men. Katara was good at making bluffs, but this was a promise Zuko had the feeling she intended to keep, and he kicked himself brutally for his part in evoking her to do it. She seemed to have become more collected as she got older, but Zuko could recognize pain when he saw it, and he could tell that hers was far from being completely gone. Why would it be, considering all that she'd probably been through? Her recovery from the incident in Ba Sing Se must have been agonizing. Zuko was sure she must have been close to death since she had not actually died that night. Zuko could guess that most of her bones were crushed from the fight as well has her hope and confidence, and that was not something that could be healed with just a little R&R.

Zuko's legs felt wobbly and he realized that he was starting to sway in his gait. The lack of recovery was getting to him quickly as he came up upon his campsite. A few soldiers were still sitting around the dying flame of the campfire, or perhaps it was all of them that were left, Zuko was too tired to count. Upon seeing him, some of them stood up and muttered something about Zuko being gone, while some others seemed as though they were accusing him of something. Zuko knew they had questions, but he chose to ignore them completely and retire to his tent without even glancing up at them.

He collapsed sluggishly on his cot, removed his swords form his back and, rather gracefully, chucked them across the floor. Burying his face in his pillow, he used his toes to kick off his boots and pulled his shirt up and over his head, leaving him lying in his black pants and dirty, white tank top. His eyes started to flutter closed and the feeling of drifting overcame him shortly. As if he was being rocked back and forth in a small boat drifting in the center of the ocean, he was lulled into a calm that he'd been praying desperately for in the past couple of days.

His mind cradled into a black hole, only to be met with little surges of consciousness that kept him from fully sleeping. Visions swept his mind, but were quickly erased as soon as he tried to remember them: his mother, sister, his troops, flashes of random color, his uncle, the Avatar, Katara. It felt as though multiple people were speaking to him, but it all came in the form of narrated thoughts, his voice outlining each one as though he was trying to repeat each fragment that was said.

Zuko awoke the next morning dazed and frustrated.

_Dammit, why'd I have to follow her? Now I've just got more problems to deal with. Fuck me . . . Fuck her. _

He slowly lifted himself up off his cot and swiped away the drool that was attempting to leak out of the corner of his mouth. He slammed his palms into his eye sockets.

_Uurrhhh! That bitch! Why couldn't she have just stayed fucking dead?_

Although Zuko was seriously starting to lose his admiration for her, he still realized Katara and the KK were a serious threat that he had to deal with, if not for himself, then for the safety of the Fire Nation. He just didn't know how to go about it. It was too late to send for reinforcements, she'd be coming back any day now if she intended on keeping her word. They could retreat, Zuko had thought about it, but that was a disgraceful move and something was stirring inside Zuko that made him want to show her how powerful he could be. In the most frustrating way possible, he wanted to reconcile with her _and_ make her suffer. But first he'd have to talk with his men.

Later that evening, Zuko called his remaining men to join him by the fire he'd just gotten started. He crouched down to sit on a rock and ran his left hand through his hair, the split ends escaping in-between his fingers.

"I'm sure that you're all still a bit shaken up from yesterday, but there is something I need to explain." He began, choosing his words carefully. "I know who the leader of the KK is. She's an old adversary of mine."

"She?" he heard one of his men blurt out, but was quickly hushed by the others. Putting his hands in his lap, Zuko continued.

"That's where I went last night. To see her and try to reason with her. But it backfired." He looked up to see them all staring at his intently, with anger or worry, Zuko couldn't make out at the moment. "They'll come back to finish us off. And from what I know we don't have much time before they arrive."

A few soldiers gasped quietly, others remained still, waiting for orders. If anyone could get them out of it, it was Zuko. They never felt that he was the most tolerant or understanding leader, but they knew he was smart, he never let his emotions lead to ridiculous orders. When it came to the longevity of the Fire Nation, Zuko's plans almost always came through, of course, they had never suffered a blow like this before.

"I thought about it repeatedly this morning, and I have come to a conclusion. There is a small village about 5 hours walk from here. Tomorrow morning, you will pack your belongings and head west to the village. When you get there, send a request to the Fire Nation for a transfer, the reason being that your general has gone missing."

Zuko waited and watched his men's reactions. Nodding slightly to let them know it was okay to ask questions. One soldier spoke up.

"We're going to run away?" he asked rather peeved. "That's not very honorable."

"You know as well as I do that we don't stand a chance against another attack like that. Although I do concern myself with the Fire Nation's persona, I know very well how you all have families at home and when given the chance, I'd like to assist in returning you to them one day."

"And what will you do? How exactly are we going to explain that the Prince just suddenly disappeared?" another asked.

"I'm going to stay behind. I don't know exactly what I'm going to do, but if I left with you, then it really would be an utter surrender, which is not something I'm prepared to do. There are some things that need to be dealt with between her and I. And there need be no lies to your superiors. Tell them what I'm telling you now: that I sent you away by my own command and you were to do nothing but follow orders."

"General, think about what you're saying! You're needed in the Fire Nation. You're the Prince. Won't this seem irresponsible on your part?"

Zuko looked on in realization. "Somehow I don't think they'll miss me all that much. I am not as needed back home as much as I used to be and I'm sure my reputation has suffered worse blows in the past."

The soldiers sat silent. They had heard rumors that General Zuko was to be denied the future thrown and it was to be given to his sister instead, but they dared not talk about it while he was in their presence. One soldier, observing Zuko's wavering in his position to the crown, asked a question carefully.

"Sir, what exactly _would_ happen if the Fire Nation lost the war?" Zuko looked up in perplexity. It was unheard of to hear a soldier question his nation out loud. Such actions were extremely punishable, but Zuko knew what it was like to want to question the security of your future. He didn't want to paint the Fire Nation in a bad way for them, doing so would almost make him a traitor, but he was fed up with all the bullshit that he'd been fed during his training and schoolings. He sighed heavily.

"Truthfully? I'm not entirely sure, but I don't think that anything bad would happen to you if that is what you're asking."

"What do you mean? Wouldn't we be taken as prisoners for interrogation or torment or something like that?"

Zuko scratched the back of his neck.

"Out of every rebel army that I've fought and every enemy I've defeated, I've never seen prisoners in their possession. Besides what they tell you in school, I've never heard stories of Fire Nation soldiers being tortured by them. It wouldn't make sense anyway, we're talking about the Avatar's army. Even though they won't hesitate to kill those that threaten them, they're not going to try and derive any pleasure from their pain. They'll do what they have to and move on."

"Then what would happen to us?" a couple men asked simultaneously. Zuko took a breath.

"Most likely, you'd be returned to your families. I don't know exactly what would happen to the Fire Nation itself, but I can't imagine there would be much discrimination. We'd probably just be removed from the countries we've occupied and be stripped of our military power, they'd probably still let us run the Fire Nation as long as they kept an eye on us, but I don't think any citizens' lives would end up in shambles if the war ended."

They all sat as still as they could, some not being able to look Zuko in the eye. Zuko was sure that they all had their rightful opinions; some probably wanted to punch him in the face, while others just wanted to get up and leave. Nobody liked being lied to and it was just a question over whether they believed him, or what they were taught growing up, but Zuko was sure that they were intrigued by the thought of returning home, as they were most likely all drafted into the war. After a few more moments when nobody had anything to say anymore, Zuko gave a command.

"Start packing up your things again. You're leaving in the morning." And with that he got up and wandered back into his tent to meditate.

The next morning was cold and windy. Zuko watched as his men marched past him, going west to the town he described. Some kept their heads down, others nodded a silent _goodbye_, or maybe it was _good luck_, Zuko wasn't sure. After they were out of clearing, Zuko started to pack up his own things. His heart was pounding tremendously in suspense, but he tried not to show it, even though there was nobody else around to see it.

He waited as patiently as he could muster. He paced back and forth, ripping up the grass where he walked and played with his thumbs. After what seemed like hours and hours of waiting and thinking about what to do, he finally saw her standing in the distance, her troops loyally behind her. They made their way closer as Zuko stood as still as he could. He had his swords and his adrenaline was bursting. If she signaled for an attack, there was no way he could win against all of them, but he'd go down fighting the entire time.

They were about thirty feet away before Katara made them stop and only she continued to approach. Looking around carefully, she made sure that Zuko's men were actually gone and that she was not blindly leading her men into a trap.

"They abandoned you?" she asked smirking.

"By command." He glared at her. "But it's just me, you'll have to either kill me or take me as your prisoner."

"I have a rule against taking prisoners."

"Then you'll have to kill me." He didn't flinch, only looked her straight in the eye, testing her ruthlessness.

He watched her fight herself on what to do. Katara had changed from the war, especially since Ba Sing Se, but she still held some of the kindness he knew her to have, she was just trying to hide it from him.

"You don't want to kill me?" he tested her, "Are you still harboring feelings for me?"

Her eyes hardened and glared as she backhanded him severely across the cheek, almost sending him to the ground.

"You think I'd just mindlessly kill someone who holds as much information as you do? I do have my morals, but I'm also willing to put aside my pride if it means I can help end this war quicker." She called back to her men, "Tie him up! Watch his mouth as well as his hands and feet." She looked back to him, "They'll be easier on you if you don't struggle."

The men surrounded Zuko and thrashed him around to get him to lie on the ground in submission. He kept his eyes on Katara the entire time. They were obviously going to be spending a lot more time with each other and she didn't look too happy about it. Her eyes held contempt for him, but something also like fear, or disappointment maybe?

Zuko could tell that the rope they used to tie him up was strong and inflammable. It cut deeply into his skin with every slight movement as they hauled him up and started to carry him by his elbows back to camp. He continued to keep his eyes locked on Katara. She looked around one last time to make sure no one was following them, then brought up the rear as they walked quietly back to camp through the harsh blowing wind.

Zuko was dog tired by the time they got there. Since his ankles were tied together, he had to hobble the entire way. At some points he just let himself be dragged, but he could see Katara smirk every time he gave in or got too tired and, being the prideful general he was, he insisted upon flaunting whatever capabilities he could muster.

As the men settled back into camp, an earthbender took a large pole and speared it into the ground between Zuko's arms that had tied behind his back so that he couldn't manage to go anywhere. It was a bit far from the rest of the camp; Zuko guessed it was so that he couldn't eavesdrop on their plans and conversations, which he was fine with since it gave him a little bit of privacy. Until a man who looked like he was from the water tribes came over and tied a gag across his mouth to prevent Zuko from being able to take large breaths. Zuko sighed internally as he tried to shift in order to get more comfortable. The night was dawning and the air was becoming even colder than before. He focused his strength on keeping himself warm and prepared for he assumed would be the longest night of his life.

**AN:** Sorry that it took a while for me to update. From here on out the chapters are going to deal more with the relationship between Zuko and Katara, so it might actually start to feel like a Zutara fanfic. Hope you continue to read!


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Zuko awoke early the next morning. It was not completely day yet and the sun was just starting to rise. His bones nearly ached from the cold. His skin was numb as he desperately tried to heat himself up. His tongue was dry, but the roof of his mouth was sticky and slimy. Under the gag, he tried to use his tongue to clean out his mouth a little as the heat slowly started to return to his body except for his hands and feet where the rope was cutting off his circulation. His skin looked blue and dirty, or maybe his eyes were just glazed over and hadn't adjusted yet, but he was starting to doubt it. The irritation in his wrists and ankles was intolerable. The skin there was completely chaffed and a mixture of dried and fresh blood stained the ropes. Perhaps the worst of it all was that he couldn't even reach the necklace in his pocket.

_Why did I agree to this?_

Looking towards camp he could see the men serving out breakfast to each other. The smell of it was creeping over and Zuko could feel his abandoned stomach begin to whine intensely. He was about to try and start making a commotion in order to get some attention until Katara walked out of her tent, or what he assumed was her tent since it seemed to be placed separate from the rest and looked to be a bit bigger than the others.

She came out dressed and clean. Her skin seemed to invite in the rising sun as if it were only rising for her. Her hair was tied nicely in the loose braid she usually wore with a few hanging strands blowing gently across her face from the morning breeze. Her clothes were tight, showing how toned her muscles were without revealing anything, but she had slipped on some heavy black sweatpants to keep herself warm. Zuko couldn't tell if he was just aroused by her or if he hated her so much that she was driving him crazy. He forgot about his stomach and kept his head down to avoid making eye contact with her.

Zuko could hear heavy footsteps swiping against the wet grass towards him. Large boots stopped in front of him accompanied with a low grunt and a bowl of food dropped into his lap, its contents flying back up to partially hit him in the face. His gag was also removed, letting him stretch his sore jaw and take in a couple of good breaths. As the soldier walked away, Zuko shook his head to get the remaining food out of his hair and stared down at the bowl of rice that was dropped in front of him. He knew how this worked. With his hands tied behind him, the only way he was going to be able to eat was to eat like a dog. His pride was continuing to suffer another serious blow, but his stomach was more important. Zuko craned his neck down and attempted to use his tongue to scoop out the little rice that hadn't flown out of the bowl.

As Katara stretched her muscles and watched as her men enjoyed their breakfast, she looked back to see her prisoner with his face buried in his lap, trying to eat. The sight of it gave her some guilt, but she reminded herself who she was dealing with. Zuko was a long time enemy. She wouldn't forget the last time she felt sorry for him. She was going to have to be careful around him without revealing any of her anxiety and perhaps now was a good time to practice.

Although her motherly nature was something Katara had been working hard to suppress in the last few years, it still existed and resurfaced every now and then, which was something Katara knew she was going to have to learn to control, especially with her role in the war. But old habits die hard and Katara couldn't stop herself from retrieving a blanket and some chopsticks from her tent and taking them over to Zuko.

He looked up as she walked over; bits of rice were splattered across his mouth and jaw bone, but she avoided making eye contact and tried to focus on his scarred ear. She draped the blanket across his chest since she couldn't wrap it around his back with his arms tied behind the pole. Silently, she removed the bowl from his lap and used the tail of her shirt to wipe off the rice from his nose, cheeks, and jaw. He remained silent as well. He didn't know what he should say and even if he did, his voice was probably too raspy for it to be understandable.

She scooped a chunk of rice with the chopsticks and raised it to his mouth. When he didn't immediately open up, she jerked the chopsticks as if she was going to shove it down his throat, so he cracked open his lips to let the food in. He was utterly surprised by her feeding him. He was starting to think that maybe it was poisoned, but at least it was food. She wouldn't look at him as she did it, pretending to be more interested in what her men were doing from afar.

"Is this how it's going to be?" Zuko asked, his voice a bit scratchy. "Every day, tied to a pole with you coming to feed me in the morning?"

She continued to look away from him and remained silent for a while, so Zuko didn't push it.

"I don't know." She said after a couple of minutes. "It depends on how much I like you on the given day." She finally turned to face him.

He didn't respond and continued to accept the food she was bringing to his mouth. She watched him struggle a little against his binds and felt the guilt come back again. She was starting to succumb to the urge to heal his wrists and ankles, but quickly reminded herself to be strong, remembering the incident in Ba Sing Se. The atmosphere quickly became extremely uncomfortable for her and she tried to get him to eat faster. The rice was almost gone and when it was, she'd be able to go.

He took his last bite, so Katara collected the dish and prepared to leave. She looked at the gag that was tossed aside to the ground and decided to leave it off. When he noticed that she wasn't putting it back on him she gave him a dangerous look that explained the consequences of trying anything funny. Zuko nodded slightly, getting the message.

Katara returned to her tent disappointed. That didn't go as well as she'd hoped. She was going to have to stay away from Zuko for a while if she was ever going to completely destroy the urges to help him. It had scared her enough the night he came to talk to her, but now she was always going to be on edge. It wasn't just that she felt bad for him; it was more than that. He brought something out in her, something that was a mix between fear and fury. It was something that she'd never be able to tell the others, they'd never understand, not fully knowing the history between the two.

It was difficult for Katara sometimes, being the only woman around. True, she got along great with her men. They respected each other and worked together as some sort of family. They had chosen to follow her after all, but they'd never understand her problems. She knew she was probably just feeling bad for herself, but Katara could help feel like their lives seemed so much easier compared to hers. They were always laughing and joking around with each other, while Katara was stuck in a cycle of stress and frequent loneliness. She knew that this was something she was obligated to deal with, being their leader and all, but she could never fully grasp how they were always so excited to go into battle knowing they may lose their lives, or their friends.

For a while, Katara was able to keep herself under control by staying away from Zuko. She assigned a couple of her men to take turns feeding him meals and tending to any considerable requests he may have made. She wasn't going to torture Zuko as much as she could. Although she resented him, she still held morals against taking prisoners, and if she was going to have one, she was going to do it right. When she felt comfortable enough, she'd let him off the pole and perhaps even give him a tent of his own, but she didn't know exactly how long that would take.

For about a week, Katara was able to focus on her work, her men, and her training. When she started to become irritated, she'd think about Aang, wherever he was. With a good amount of rest she was able to think clearer, but she still wasn't ready to question Zuko for any information she may have needed. When he found out that she'd refuse to use violence to get answers, he wouldn't take her seriously anymore. It was best to wait it out and let him worry; he deserved it after all he'd done to her. After some time, maybe he'd even give information willingly, but Katara doubted it.

Zuko felt like he was in hell. Praying that this wouldn't go on much longer, he almost hoped she'd just come out and torture him, just to get it done with. But Zuko knew how smart Katara could be. If she was going to use time as a torture device, he wouldn't give in, just to spite her. She'd messed with his head the other day, when she acted sweet and helped him eat. When he asked her if she'd come back, she said she would as long as she didn't hate him. But she hadn't come back at all. She was completely ignoring him, making her men do the dirty work. What had he done to make her hate him so much? Or rather, what had he done _recently_ to make her hate him so much?

They were all playing around with him. At meals the soldiers made a game out of him. They'd throw food at him from far distances, making bets on who could come the closest to hitting his scar. Zuko would have tried to burn them had Katara not ordered them to stop wasting good food.

Eventually it was time for their next movement. Katara and her soldiers took turns packing up all the supplies. While it wasn't her turn, Katara would challenge the men to a sparing tournament, defeating each one easily. Zuko watched on in fascination. They weren't bending at all and still Katara possessed the strength to take each one down in a matter of minutes. Her ability to strategize was amazing. She was able to look her opponent up and down and immediately know their physical weaknesses. It was no wonder why the KK had such an infamous reputation.

Katara wiped her brow of sweat as she flipped over one her men, signaling that the match was over. She felt eyes on her back and she looked over her shoulder to see Zuko still tied to his pole, staring at her. She called over one of her soldiers and commanded him to unbind Zuko and bring him over to spar.

_It's about time I stop avoiding you,_ she thought.

Zuko watched Katara look back at him and tell something to one of her men. Zuko felt his nerves spike when the soldier started to approach him. Was he being punished for watching? The man took out a knife and Zuko prepared himself for a fight, no matter how helpless he may have been.

"Relax Bronco, I'm not gonna stab you." The soldier explained as he got closer.

He lifted up Zuko's legs and sawed through the rope around his ankles. Then reaching behind him, he did the same to the binding around his wrists. It felt like Zuko was just remembering how to breathe again. He rubbed his wrists vigorously, smearing some of the blood and finally returning some color to his hands. The soldier lifted him up and forced him to walk over to where Katara was waiting for him.

"I want you to spar with me," She told him. "I'll give you some time to prepare. The rules are that there's no bending and the fight ends when either of us says it is. Got it?"

Zuko nodded in understanding, still rubbing his wrists. He removed his armor from his torso. It was like he'd suddenly shed 200 pounds. He felt so light it was as if he could float away with the breeze at any second. Zuko stretched his limbs to his best ability. It felt as though every single bone he flexed cracked from lack of movement. His sore muscles rippled down his back and through his glutes. His legs felt a little rubbery, but he was able to quickly bring life back into them. He wasn't in the best condition to fight, but he was excited. He hadn't gotten a hint of action in what felt like forever and the warrior in him was swiftly coming to. And beating Katara was going to feel pretty good considering everything she'd done, or hadn't done to him rather, in the past couple of days. He signaled to Katara that he was ready and began by controlling his breathing. Although he wouldn't be firebending, he knew he was going to need all the focus he could muster.

Katara flexed her hands, and then quickly sprinted in Zuko's direction, dodging to the left as he tried to grab her arm. She swiftly placed her foot behind his ankle and pushed him over it, making him trip, but Zuko grabbed the back of her neck at the last second and brought her down with him. He squeezed his biceps around her torso and arms, making Katara unable to move her upper body. Without hesitation, she head-butted him and his grip slackened slightly, allowing her to slip out of his arms. Before she could get too far, Zuko got up and threw his body into hers, pinning her to the ground so that he was now on top. Katara wrapped her legs around Zuko's waist and squeezed tightly, her strong thighs were causing him pain, but not enough that he was willing to let go of her first.

In the background Zuko could hear the soldiers cheering on Katara and booing him. It was starting to react strongly against his collectiveness and he was becoming too distracted. He didn't notice when Katara removed one of her legs from around his waist and hooked it behind his raised thigh, then pulling it out of place and rolling them over. Infuriated, Zuko reached for Katara's legs to hold her ankles together with one hand while he pinned her down with the other, but she was too nimble. She climbed over his back and wrapped her elbow around his neck, squeezing tightly. Zuko reached around and grabbed at her clothes to pull her off, but she had too firm of a hold on him. He tried banging her against the ground below him a couple of times, but she still refused to budge and he was losing the ability to breathe right. He smashed her down one more time, but was too weak to get back up. Slowly, Katara released her grip around his neck and let him get his breath back. Zuko tried to get back up to fight, but Katara had already stood and was brushing herself off, declaring the fight over.

"That wasn't bad," she claimed, trying to catch her own breath. "When you get yourself together go down to the river and wash yourself off before we leave."

Still disappointed at his loss, Zuko picked himself up off the dirty ground and walked somberly towards the river.

"Keep an eye on him." He could hear Katara command behind him and a couple of soldiers started to follow him to the river's bank.

The men began to tease him again as Zuko sat and pulled his shoes off.

"Must be a real sting to know that you got the shit beaten out of you by a woman." One of them laughed.

"If I'm not mistaken, that woman also happens to control all of your asses any times she likes," Zuko retaliated. "And if I were you, I wouldn't be so willing to insult my leader considering she could beat the shit out of you too if she pleased."

The two men stared at him silently for a second, and then continued to burst out laughing as if Zuko had just told a joke that would make them shit their pants. Zuko tried to ignore it and resumed taking off his clothes. After he stripped down, he waded out into the middle of the river and splashed some water into his face. The soldiers eventually quieted down and Zuko was able to wash himself in peace. He gently scrubbed the dried blood from his wrists and ankles. He was able to clean them well, but scars still remained where the rope had been.

_Oh well, what's a couple more right?_

He then ducked underwater to get his hair wet. Although he hadn't worked out in a while, Zuko's body was still as toned and muscular as he intended it to be. His arms were thick, but not enough that they had a wider width than his head, like he'd seen in some men. His abdomen was tight and sculpted and his legs were slender, but muscular at the same time. He secretly kind of wished that Katara had noticed as they were sparing. He knew the two soldiers had probably noticed at some point when he took his clothes off.

_Yeah you wish you looked like this. _Zuko imagined the looks on their faces as they compared themselves to him and chuckled to himself.

"What you laughing at prisoner?" One of the men sounded irritated.

"Nothing, don't worry about it." Zuko called back to them.

"Well, hurry up. We don't have any extra time for you to pleasure yourself."

"Yeah, yeah alright." Zuko rinsed himself off one last time and strode out of the river to put his clothes back on.

He used his shirt to dry himself off before putting it back on and sticking his hands in his pants pockets. He was surprised when he felt something hard hit his right hand and he pulled it out to realize that it was Katara's necklace.

"What's that?" a soldier asked.

"Nothing. Just a keep-sake." Zuko said and quickly buried the jewelry back into his pocket.

He ran his fingertips over the curvatures he knew all too well and followed the men back to camp where they were all packed up and ready to leave. Katara came over to him.

"We're leaving soon. I put your things with the rest of the luggage."

_Not everything. _He thought, tightening his fist around the necklace in his pocket, although technically it was Katara's. It was perhaps the only thing that was keeping him calm through everything and Zuko decided that it wasn't time to give it back yet. Maybe he wouldn't give it back at all.

_It probably means more to me than it does to her._

"Let me see your hands." Katara commanded. As if she was reading his mind.

"Wha . . . what?"

"Take your hands out of your pockets so I can look at your wrists."

Zuko sighed, thanking the heavens that she hadn't known about the necklace. He showed her his wrists and prepared to have them tied up again, but instead Katara bended some water from out of the pouch around her waist and covered his scars with her hands. It tingled a bit a first, but Zuko could feel the burning sensation begin to subside as his wrist scars cooled down and disappeared. He had forgotten that she could heal. He remembered from when she offered to heal his other scars in the crystal catacombs.

"Do you need me to do your ankles as well?" she asked. He shook his head no, not being able to push words out of his mouth. "Then will you be alright to walk with the rest of the troop?" she asked. He nodded his head yes. She was being nice again. Probably just trying to mess with his head, Zuko figured.

"Alright, let's head out!" she called to the others.

Zuko walked behind her as they began their way East. Her hips swayed nicely as they traveled uphill. Zuko attempted to make contact.

"You've become a wonderful fighter Katara."

She looked back at him, her eyes questioning and beautiful.

"I know." She simply stated and returned her attention to the front.

Katara knew she needed to get further away from Zuko to avoid liking him again. She'd done well during their spar. Of course she noticed a few attractive _things _about him as they rolled around on the ground together, but for the most part she was able to keep her composure. Now she was right back where she started, wanting to believe in him all over again. She increased the speed of her walk to get away from Zuko and join her men at the front. Zuko watched as she sped away, feeling the glares of the other men surrounding him.

_Yup. She's definitely trying to mess with my head. _He thought.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: **this chapter contains some sexual scenes and descriptions. Rated M for a reason, so please read with care and caution. Otherwise enjoy!

CHAPTER 6

After a lot of traveling, Zuko's feet became increasingly sore. He was looking forward to when they would finally reach their destination, wherever it was. It was harder for him, not being in control. He was so used to being the man who received groveling, not produced it. But he'd never let his impatience be heard. He was a prisoner, but Zuko still held onto the pride he had remaining, plus he didn't want to upset Katara and the others for being a whiner.

Fortunately, they finally stopped to set up camp at the new location Katara had led them to. Of course, for her sake, it was located close to a large body of water and not too far off from a local town. She must have been planning to restock on supplies.

Zuko stood and watched as everybody began to set up their tents. Some men had their own, but others were willing to share, while some of the men didn't even bother with a tent and preferred to sleep outside at night. Zuko felt a bit awkward, as though everybody had forgotten about him, which tempted an easy escape, but that probably would've put him in a more difficult situation. So instead, he waited until they remembered to tie him up again. On instinct, he looked over his shoulder to see that Katara was staring at him, as though she was reading his mind. Zuko studied her gait as she strolled over to him and looked him up and down.

"I'll give you a tent." She said, but Zuko wasn't sure if she was making a statement or asking a question. He gave her a look that asked her to clarify. "I won't have you tied up again unless you give me reason to. There are a couple of tents over there that still need to be set up. If you can get your hands on one, you can have it." She turned to walk away, but backtracked and added one more thing before going, "Don't take advantage of the leeway I'm giving you Zuko."

He nodded silently. He didn't need to be told twice. Once Katara had walked far enough away, he made his way over to the extra tents and started work on setting up his own. He was rather excited to be able to have a sense of privacy again, even if his tent was going to be surrounded by dozens of others. He would've liked to place his farther off from the rest of the group as Katara seemed to do, but he remembered what she advised him and wasn't going to risk messing up the privileges she was giving him.

He reminded himself that although he was trying hard to gain back Katara's trust, he was still his own person and was not going to let Katara make a mindless sap out of him. They'd become friends eventually, Zuko knew. She was already starting to warm up to him, but he had to play his cards right and do whatever she said until she liked him enough that he could decide things on his own. He'd be lying if he said he didn't imagine what a future with Katara would be like. They had the potential to be an unstoppable team, both being physically strong and strategically smart, but she was never going to let it happen if he didn't work hard to get her to warm up to him. Zuko didn't like being pushed around, but he knew that if he put up with it for only a little while longer, he probably wouldn't even be considered a prisoner anymore.

After putting up his tent, Zuko immediately crawled inside and set up an area for sleeping. He'd managed to scavenge up a pillow and a few blankets along with the tent and counted himself lucky that so many of the earthbenders preferred sleeping without them. As soon as he laid himself down, he was out cold. He knew he was physically exhausted from all the traveling, but Zuko hadn't realized the effects of the mental strain that he was being put through. He hadn't gotten a good amount of sleep in what seemed like ages and his body was now making up for it.

From a distance, Katara watched as Zuko fixed his tent and crawled inside. Since the tent material was rather thin she could see his silhouette from the outside and knew that he'd fallen asleep as soon as he'd entered. It was fine with her for now. He'd been through a lot in the past couple of days and he needed sleep if he was going to be of any use to her in the future, but she wasn't planning on treating him like a guest either.

As soon as Zuko woke up from his long nap, Katara put him straight to work. It was a trade-in for no longer having to be bound all of the time, which Zuko was fine with. At least this way he was getting exercise and was able to occupy his mind easier. Most of the time he gathered firewood, but every now and then, Katara would have him help to prepare the meals with her, which he preferred much more. Although they rarely spoke, Zuko enjoyed being able to sit with Katara and chop carrots, or stir the pot, or whatever she needed him to do. It was peaceful for him, as though they were working together as team, even if it was just cooking.

Whenever he wasn't doing errands, Zuko took any opportunity he could get to sleep. Although he was basically doing the same humdrum activities everyday now, he found himself more exhausted than ever before. He was becoming more accepted into the group, but Zuko still worried over what his future had in store for him. He was still a prisoner after all, and he was sure the Fire Nation was not going to be exceedingly thrilled to see him back if he ever escaped. When he boiled it all down, Zuko was really left with nowhere to go, and the thought scared him. He'd been on his own before, but it didn't go well and it wasn't something he wanted to experience again. He was nervous that he was going to be a prisoner forever, but at the same time he was scared of what would happen to him if he was ever released.

Thankfully, the other soldiers were adapting to Zuko quicker than he expected. They reminded him of his own men in a way. They were obnoxious and rude, but loyal when it came down to it. They weren't the brightest men he'd ever met, but they made for good conversation and were able to get Zuko to laugh every now and then. It was a step to the kind of relationship he hoped to have with Katara someday. One were they could talk for hours on end and it would've felt as if no time had been wasted. And even though she seemed to be warming up to him step by step as he'd worked for, a close relationship like the one he had in mind didn't seem too probable. Katara had known some of her soldiers for years and she didn't hold a great friendship with them either, so then how good of a chance did Zuko have?

One morning, Zuko arose from his tent to see that Katara was issuing out haircuts to some of the men. Apparently, she would hand them out every now and again since long bangs often impaired the soldiers' ability to maintain keen awareness during battle. She'd splash some water through their hair to get it wet and would then proceed to trim it carefully with a knife. Zuko watched as she took precision in her work. She didn't just butcher about and cut away any loose strands she laid her eyes on, she ran her fingers carefully through each lock, checking to make sure that she cut it at the right place, at the right angle. Zuko could start to feel himself getting jealous. Considering he wasn't a soldier and would never be fighting with them, Zuko doubted that Katara was going to take time out of her schedule to play around with his hair.

"Zuko, get over here." She called to him and motioned for him to sit down in front of her. He was seriously starting to worry that she actually could read his mind.

He didn't dare speak a word of objection and walked over to her. Like a little kid getting checked for lice, he slumped down in front of her and she ran her hands over his scalp, looking to see where exactly he needed to be trimmed. She then bended a handful of water, which was warm to Zuko's surprise, and mixed it in with his follicles, soaking it just enough to make it easy to cut. Her hands gracefully rummaged over his skull and Zuko could feel chills running up his spine. Delightful goose bumps started to protrude from his skin and he couldn't help but to close his eyes from the sensation. He had to fight the urge to whimper out in pleasure.

As she gently sliced his hair shorter, Zuko could feel his insides start to stir aroused, and he was pretty sure that it was soon going to show on the outside as well. He had to fight to keep his heart rate and breathing under control. He wasn't sure if Katara had noticed, but if she had, she was probably having a fabulous time driving him to insanity. He wanted it to be over as much as he wanted it to never end. As soon as Katara had cut her final strand and backed off to inspect her work, she gave him a nod of approval, signaling that Zuko was free to leave. Swiftly, and without so much of a whisper, Zuko strode back to his tent. As soon as he entered, he collapsed on the cot and gave a loud groan filled with both desire and confusion.

Fortunately, everybody left Zuko alone for the rest of the day and he was able to get in a couple of naps before dinner. Even though a reasonable amount of time had passed, Zuko still couldn't shake the desires that arose from before and after they finished eating, he crawled back into his tent and waited for the others to fall asleep.

Eventually, when everything was quiet, Zuko slowly and silently traced his fingers up and down his abdomen. He could already start to feel himself get excited. He swiftly slipped off his pants and undergarments. The slight breeze felt good against his naked body as he gently placed the tips of his fingers on his rising shaft. Trying to imitate the elegance and care that Katara had given to his hair, he stroked himself up and down, lingering on the places where it felt best. He traced the blue vein that had protruded out of his length at some point during his teasing, and his fingertips made their way to the head, drawing circles around the tip as his other hand softly massaged his testicles.

A bit of precum escaped and Zuko's breath started to hitch. Having teased himself enough for the night, he secured his grasp around his now fully erect shaft and began pumping up and down. His hand was smooth and he knew how to be delicate, but Zuko couldn't help wanting it to be Katara's hands around him instead. He imagined her seductively milking him of all his worth, and from there on he couldn't control himself any longer. He pumped faster and harder as he envisioned himself and Katara fumbling under the sheets, her kissing his neck as he stroked his fingers up and down her back. He thought about what it would be like to grind himself into her, to be able to thrust in and out of her as he pleased while she called out his name in ecstasy.

He had to fight the desire to moan out her name. It was going to be hard, but there was no way he was willing to risk getting caught. He tried to control his breath as he felt himself getting close to ejaculation. His mind was fuzzy and his vision was blanking white as he felt himself nearly explode from pleasure. He felt a slight gurgle in the back of his throat and heard a short, sweet groan escape his mouth as he finally came and the cum spurted out onto his stomach. His body relaxed from its tensed state and he collapsed backward, his head thudding against the pillow beneath him. Although he was light headed, he was able to clean himself up a bit before plunging into a state of relaxation and bliss.

The next morning Katara walked out of her tent with good news for her men. She was going to give them the day off to go into town and enjoy themselves. The heavens knew that she needed it too. She had been a little reckless yesterday as she gave Zuko his haircut. She found herself taking more time to do his than any of the other men's'. As she was running her fingers over his scalp she felt the strange urge to press her front up against his back and run her hands over more places than just his head. She had desperately hoped that he hadn't noticed, but her worries only increased when he nearly sprinted away after she had finished.

Allowing everybody to go into town would give her some more time to clear her head. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake thoughts of Zuko off of her. If she got too close to him, she almost broke composure, but if she kept him at a distance, her urges only increased tenfold.

_That bastard just has to make everything so difficult. _She thought. _He's probably doing this to me on purpose. _

Zuko was surprised to hear Katara claim that the men would get the day to do whatever they liked. Of course, he wasn't sure that this included him. He looked at her questioningly and she gave him a small nod of approval in return. He felt a good amount of gratitude. Perhaps all his effort was finally getting him somewhere with her.

Zuko walked with the other men into town and observed all the store names, looking for one that he'd be interested in. One of the Earth Kingdom soldiers named Chin, who Zuko later realized had been one of the soldiers who had accompanied him to the river a few weeks prior, came up and slapped Zuko on the back. He pulled out Zuko's palm and placed a few coins in it.

"Ready to have some fun?" he mused.

"What is this?" Zuko asked, looking at his hand.

"Just some money to treat yourself with. Don't worry, you don't have to pay me back. We've all seen how much you've been helping around. Katara's really been using the prisoner thing up to her full advantage."

"She's not that bad." Zuko replied.

"I guess not. But it'll be nice to finally see some other girls besides her huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? Where do you think you're following everyone to? When a soldier gets the day off, he doesn't go straight to the mall does he?"

Zuko understood now. Of course he knew where they were going. He was being lead to a whore house. He'd seen his men go into them any chance they could whenever they'd traveled through a populated area. Admittedly, he had joined them on occasion, but it wasn't something Zuko took a lot of pride in, it had really just been to let out whatever pent up anger he had been harboring that week.

It was like being swept up in a wave. They practically carried Zuko into the brothel. It smelled like they always do: full of sweat, alcohol, and grime. Zuko searched around for an exit as a tall, red-headed woman came up to him and placed a bony hand on the back of his thigh.

"Are you looking for me?" she whispered into his ear.

Before he could respond, he felt himself being pulled into a separate room. He already knew where this was going. She certainly wasted no time as she sat him down on the bed and began to lift up his shirt to feel his abs. It felt nice enough. Zuko wasn't going to lie, it had been a while since he'd had sex and even though he'd given himself release the previous night, the option of having actual intercourse didn't sound too bad right about then. He handed her the money in his palms and she proceeded to strip down in front of him. She had a dragon tattoo inked on the back of her thigh and up around the curvature of her ass. Zuko didn't know what it was, but dragon tattoos seemed to be a big thing with women; they were always printed somewhere promiscuously across their bodies.

The woman then sat down in his lap and straddled him, touching his newly trimmed hair and running her fingers over his chest. She moved her hands down and stuck them into his pockets only to pull out Katara's necklace from one of them.

"Oh, what's this? You want me to wear this for you?" she asked seductively, but it actually withdrew the opposite reaction. Somehow, within the matter of a second, Zuko went from indifferent, to completely furious.

"Give that back to me. Now." His voice had suddenly become drastically lower and more serious. He was nearly gritting his teeth from the way she was handling it with such carelessness.

She didn't give it immediately back and began to admire it in her fingers, now seeing how much value it held to him. She began to move as if to tie the necklace around her neck, but before she could, he quickly grabbed her hand in his own and squeezed harshly, nearly breaking her metacarpals. She squealed out in pain and when he let go she instantly dropped the necklace and Zuko was able to catch it before it hit the ground. Without another word he got up and trudged out of the brothel as the prostitute screamed curses at him from behind.

Stumbling out onto the streets, it felt good to be able to breathe fresh air again. He was still a bit agitated from the incident at the whore house, but rubbing the necklace helped ease him back into calmness. It felt good to know that it was still safe in his possession.

Zuko walked through the streets of the town, looking for something to buy his time until he looked through the window of a café and saw a rather familiar waterbender sitting at one of the side tables. Feeling brave, he snuck in and slid into the chair across from her.

"You didn't have to tip-toe in; I saw you through the window," she claimed as she looked at him, lifting her tea to her lips.

He smiled to himself, finding himself relieved that he was there, with her, and not at the whore house anymore. She noticed his smile and gave him a questioning look until a waiter came up to them.

"And for you sir?" he asked Zuko.

He couldn't order anything. He didn't have any money left.

"Nothing than-"

"White Jasmine. A little bit of lemon." Katara told the waiter and he walked off. She looked back to Zuko. "It's alright, I'll pay."

Zuko nodded a thank-you and they sat in an uncomfortable silence for a little while as Katara sipped her tea. Finally, the waiter came back with Zuko's order and Katara took the lemon from the side of his cup and squeezed a little more juice into her own tea before putting it back.

"I thought you'd be going with the others. To the brothel." She asked, trying to mask her voice from any interest in the matter. She didn't want to admit it, but the thought of Zuko having sex with a whore made her sad, not angry, just sad. She didn't know why.

"I did go." He responded, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Oh. . ."

"But I decided to leave."

"Oh?"

Zuko didn't go anymore into it and looked down at his tea, so Katara decided it'd be best for both of them if she didn't press any further. They entered another uncomfortable silence until Zuko took another daring step.

"I'd like to stay with you, for the rest of the day. If that's alright?" He asked, looking up at her.

Katara was pretty stunned by Zuko's request. They had done things together before, like preparing the meals, but that was only because she was making him as a form of punishment. She didn't actually think that he enjoyed spending time with her. It wasn't an easy decision for her, but she ended up feeling that she'd rather have Zuko with her, driving her mad, instead of having him back at the brothel where she'd only get more upset.

"Alright." She sighed reluctantly. This wasn't going to be easy considering the next few activities she had already planned out for herself.

They made their way across town and stopped in front of a bath house. Katara looked over her shoulder at him warily.

"Don't worry." He assured her, "I'm not going to attack you, especially not someplace where we're surrounded by water."

"That's not what I'm afraid of." she replied, uneasy of how her feelings might suffer from spending time with him in someplace as . . . _revealing_ as this. She sighed hopelessly.

_What have you gotten yourself into now Katara?_


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

Letting the steaming water soak into her skin, Katara tried to let her mind relax from all the rushing thoughts that were plaguing her, and the fact that a half-naked fire bender was sitting right across from her didn't help. She had to clamp her eyes shut to avoid looking in his direction, but when she got dizzy from the forced darkness, she had to turn her back to him and rest her head and elbows on the side of the tub. Of course, she had asked for two separate baths for them, but since it was the weekend and all, all the other private baths were full.

_Of course they were. Just my luck. _Katara cursed her bad fortune. Maybe she should have just sent him back to camp, even though he wasn't technically doing anything wrong.

Zuko watched Katara fidget in her place. He was starting to worry that he was ruining her free time, but when she turned around, giving him a nice view of the muscles in her back and shoulders, she seemed to calm down a bit.

Zuko was growing more and more eager. His friendship with Katara was becoming steadier each day, as was his attraction to her. Watching her rest against the edge of the tub, he was starting to feel guilty about fantasizing about her as he pleasured himself the night prior. He was begging to worry the line between wanting friendship and wanting something more was running thin with Katara. He cared about her, and he wanted her to like him, but exactly how much he wanted to like her he wasn't sure.

She was growing more and more beautiful with each new day. Zuko could tell that she had grown into herself the moment he discovered she was alive after they'd battled about a month back. Her body was strong and lean, as was her mind. She was graceful in her movements and thoughts. He loved the times when he would catch her in mid-ponder; she looked so focused and determined as well as elegant. She was certainly a woman to behold, one that Zuko found himself wishing all women would aspire to be like. She was professional, an excellent leader to her men, and always did what was right, while still possessing an astonishing spirit. Her small smiles and smirks always made Zuko blush. He'd seen her grin a couple of times before, but sadly they were never directed at him.

Perhaps he was getting attached far too quickly. Besides his mother, he'd never wanted to have such a close relationship with a woman before. Zuko thought back to when he first became her prisoner. The thought that he may never be able to return to his country or his spot in the royal family seemed to have very little effect on making his decision, as he was more focus on the protection and reputation of his men. Had he really desired to be with her that much, or was he sick of the thought of home and politics, never wanting to return? Perhaps it was a little of both.

She'd been plaguing his mind ever since he thought she died. Maybe even before that. The thought of her dead saddened him greatly and never failed to let a wave of guilt wash over him. She was just a girl back then, fighting for what she wanted and believed in, just like he was. She knew what she was getting herself into when she agreed to travel around with the Avatar, but such a brutal beating was not deserved by someone of her age and innocence.

Zuko smirked to himself. She was certainly not so innocent anymore. She was probably one of the most powerful waterbenders in the world. Her death count from the past four years was incredible, Zuko was sure of it. He knew that on the inside, she was still the kind, understanding woman he remembered her to be, but he could tell that the war had changed her in multiple ways and a demand for violence had made its way inside of her mind. After the Avatar's death, she had probably realized that a war with the Fire Nation could not be settled peacefully without the Avatar's presence. Ruthlessness was needed, and she gave it.

In a way, it kind of made her sexier. Zuko was willing to admit that at times he was a bit startled by her harshness, but it added to her attractiveness that she was able to take charge of a situation and not let others make decisions for her, unlike most Fire Nation noblewomen, who did whatever you asked at the promise of marriage.

Looking at her across the steaming water, he wanted to lean over and touch her. He wanted to move his hands down her back and untie the wet bindings that were concealing her beautiful body from him. He desired to grab her and throw her onto his lap, securing her legs around his waist so he could kiss her until it hurt. With the hot water surrounding their figures, he wished to wash the sweat from off of her body and massage any place she felt sore. To be able to carry her out of the bath and somewhere more comfortable where he could show her his own body and how it was meant to work. The thought of making love to her right then was starting to eat him alive.

Zuko shook himself out of his thoughts shamefully. He was doing it all over again. He'd tell himself that he was just trying to make things up to her, and then he'd disgrace her with his dirty imagination. He shouldn't have been thinking such thoughts about Katara, especially as she was resting no more than a few feet away. Right now, he just needed to focus on making Katara forgive him and not mess up all the progress he was achieving with her.

After all of Zuko's pondering, Katara still remained turned around and silent. Was she okay?

"Katara?" he asked carefully.

Katara was knocked back into reality as she heard Zuko call her name. She lifted her head off of her crossed forearms and rotated her neck to look at him. She had been hoping that he had forgotten about her.

"Is everything alright? You've been pretty quiet." He seemed worried.

"I'm just trying to relax." She gave a confused response and he nodded in understanding.

Her thoughts about Zuko were starting to scare her. One second she was starting to care about him, and then the next she was reminded about the past. She shivered as she recalled his hateful glares and vicious attacks from all their previous fights, especially the one in Ba Sing Se. She grew furious whenever she remembered that day, how she was so sure that there was good in him and then he just completely and utterly betrayed her without a single thought. Perhaps he hadn't know that he had gained her trust and didn't feel any ties to her, like she did to him, but they had certainly had a moment, and it was strong enough that it should have at least made some emotional impact on him.

She couldn't trust him. That was final. She was lucky she survived that day, lucky that she hadn't bled to death like she was so sure she was going to. She had immediately passed out as Azula gave a huge blow to her head, and by the time she woke up, everything was quiet. She laid there in the dark for what felt like hours, her eyes were swollen and nearly deprived of all sight while her shattered bones made it impossible for her to move or call any source of water to her. When Sokka and Toph had finally found her, she was devastated to have learned about Aang's death. It stung just as hard as when she lost her mother, if not more, and she hated herself more each and every day knowing that she could have prevented it had she chosen not to trust Zuko.

He was a monster.

She lost so much that day. Her hope, her confidence, and her love all began to diminish in that moment. It was the start of their continuing loss in the war, the beginning of her separation from her friends, and the deprival of Aang, as well as her mother's necklace. What ever happened to it, she never found out.

Getting extremely uncomfortable with him so close and so . . . bare, Katara lifted herself out of the tub and bended the dripping water off of her body. She quickly started to redress and fix her hair before leaving the bathhouse. She chided herself for ever allowing him to join her in the first place. She should have known better.

Zuko was surprised when Katara suddenly hopped out of the bath to leave. Since he wasn't a waterbender, he struggled to keep up with her and took longer to dry himself off with a towel. She didn't wait for him to finish and he had to leave the bath still partially wet under his clothes. He was starting to worry at her strange behavior. Had he done something wrong? She seemed fine before and was nice enough to him at the café. What could have possibly changed in the past few hours?

There was a bit of anger in her step as she led him through town, so he chose not to say anything at the moment. Unfortunately for Katara, she still needed to buy extra food and supplies for camp, while she really would have rather preferred to go straight back so she could go to her tent, and Zuko could leave her be. They spent about a couple of hours or so going in and out of shops, each time with more supplies in their arms. She made a mental note to make Zuko carry all the particularly heavy things, as well as be the one to have to go back and make multiple trips when hauling everything back to the campsite. Neither of them said a word to each other throughout the entirety of it.

They finally reached camp and unloaded everything. They needed to unpack the last few things in Katara's tent and by the time they had finished, they could see the moon shining brightly through the tent's thin walls. Nightfall had already taken effect and the other men still weren't back. Guaranteed that they were out drinking the night away, Katara knew that they wouldn't be back until morning. Desperately not wanting to spend anymore alone time with Zuko, she ordered him to go back into the village to celebrate with the others.

"That's alright." He told her, "I'd rather stay here with you."

She didn't like how he was talking to her so warmly. She had fallen for it before and now it was putting her on edge.

"Remember that you are still a prisoner Zuko." She told him in a harsh tone. "Do not get too comfortable around here." She was glaring at him. Zuko was starting to get annoyed at her sudden change in attitude.

"What is it with you?" Zuko barked back confused. He honestly thought everything had gone fine before.

"Nothing. I think you just need a reminder about what you're status is around here. You are not a guest and therefore should no longer be treated like one." She hissed at him coldly.

Zuko was getting fed up. He'd made so much progress with her. They were starting to be able to get comfortable around each other and she was sabotaging all his hard work.

"You're going to push me away again?! You can honestly say that after the past time we've spent together, you haven't warmed up to me in the least? After all the meals we prepared together, the firewood I carried for you? After the tea shop and the spa?" He made a point to refrain from mentioning the haircut in order to keep himself from blushing.

"What are you even talking about?" she yelled back. "Nothing happened!"

Zuko could feel his blood begin to boil. Her feeding him rice, healing his wrists, and sparing with him . . . that was all just nothing?

"What the hell has happened to you? I actually remember you being kind once! And to think I spent so many years feeling guilty over what I did to you!" his voiced raised with every sentence.

Katara knew it. She knew he couldn't change. He was still the hot-tempered spoiled prince she thought he was when she first met him.

"Of course I'm not as kind as I used to be! You don't think that I miss that? The way I used to be? When I felt I could actually trust people and I that they actually liked me back? And you should feel guilty, you're partially the reason why I'm like this!"

"I never wanted to hurt you! Don't you understand that? I did like you, and even though you treat me like shit half the time, I still like you. You just always had to get in the way of things and there was nothing I could do about it."

Katara's voice was getting to sore for her own liking, so she tried to sound more reasonable with him.

"Zuko, you have no idea what you're dealing with. You're not supposed to like me anymore. You're supposed to hate me. Why can't you just hate me? Don't you see that it'd be so much easier that way? Don't try and win back my trust. Don't bother 'cause it's too hard."

He was begging to settle down himself.

"I don't want the easy way. I want the right way. I knew the second I found out that you were alive I was supposed to help you somehow. That I was supposed to make things right for what I've done in the past. I don't question it, so please don't question it either. Just know that I want to make things better for both of us."

"Zuko, can you at least try to understand where I'm coming from? Don't you think that after everything, I'd be wary to trust you again, trust anybody for that matter? I'll admit that there were times when I felt like we were supposed to be friends, but I was wrong. I should actually thank you; you finally made it clear to me that we're supposed to be enemies."

He wasn't about to give up so easily.

"No Katara. If we're supposed to be enemies, then why are you taking the time to argue with me? Why aren't you trying to kill me right now, and I you? And don't give me that 'because I'm keeping you as my prisoner' bullshit!" He softened his voice back down, realizing how loud it was starting to rise up again. "I know you're sacred. And I know you're confused. Your head is saying no, but your heart is saying yes." He gently walked closer to her and rested his hands on both her arms. "I don't know how many times I can say I'm sorry. I'd say it a million times if you wanted me to, but you know that it's not going to make a difference if you don't allow yourself to heal. You've helped so many people Katara. Let me help you."

Katara's voice was beginning to shake while attempting to swallow the lump that was forming in her throat.

"What if you hurt me again?" she managed to cough out.

"I won't."

"I don't believe you. Trust me Zuko, I want to, but I just can't. It's too hard. I can't forget what's happened in the past. Every time I start to feel you get closer, my mind triggers the memories of everything you've done, and I can't take the risk."

Zuko didn't know how to reach her. He couldn't get it through her head that he truly never wanted to hurt her again.

"Then what are you going to do with me?" he asked hesitantly.

Tears started to well in the corners of Katara's eyes, but she blinked them away.

"You need to leave." She said coolly.

"What?" What did she mean leave?

"I'm letting you go. I know you too well to be comfortable killing you, so I'm telling you to leave. Wherever you go, I don't care. Just be gone by morning."

He wasn't going to accept this. He didn't give himself up as a prisoner for nothing. He didn't just pour half his heart out only to be shooed away.

"No." He told her as he looked her straight in the eye.

"Yes Zuko. If you truly want to help me, you'll leave."

"But don't you see? That's not the way to solve this. Don't run away! I've done it too many times to know that it never works."

"Zuko!" She couldn't take it much longer. She needed him out now before he drove her to insanity.

Zuko still wasn't giving in, but he'd let her think he was for now. She obviously needed rest in order to calm down and clear her thoughts, so he'd wait outside her tent until he felt it was alright to talk to her again.

"Alright fine . . . but I can't leave here without giving you this." He said as he gently pulled Katara's necklace out of his pocket, lifted her hand in his, and placed it in her palm. He didn't know if he was truly ready to part with it, but he had to show Katara that he did care about her happiness.

"Wha . . . What is this?" she stammered, looking at the blue jewelry she thought she'd never see again.

"Kat- "

"What is this?!" she grew furious all over again.

_This is how he tries to prove he's trustworthy?! By stealing my necklace AGAIN?!_

"I . . ." Zuko began to explain, but he didn't get too far.

"Get out. Get out right now. I can't even look at you!" she screamed at him, her shoulders shaking violently.

Zuko turned to go. She was obviously not going to hear him out now, so he planned to explain everything after he waited a while for her to calm down. He opened the flap of her tent to exit.

"Zuko." She called back one last time and he turned to face her. "Take this stupid thing with you." She muttered as she tossed the necklace at him and it hit him square in the chest. "I don't want it anymore." She stated coldly and turned to back away from him.

Zuko was able to catch the necklace before it hit the ground. He looked at it sullenly and nodded before leaving.

He sat on the grass from a distance, watching Katara's tent until the candle light from inside finally went out. Zuko lay down on his back and gazed up at the moon and stars that looked back down at him. He wanted to give her some time to sleep, so he'd go back to talk to her right before the sun came up. That way, he knew the soldiers would still be gone and he'd be able to talk to Katara alone.

Once the night had begun to diminish, Zuko carefully made his way inside her tent so as not to startle her. Katara was lying on her side atop her cot, facing the wall. She saw his shadow enter as he opened the tent's flap.

"I told you to get out of here Zuko."

Ignoring her command, he kneeled down next to her and fastened her mother's necklace around her neck. She stiffened at the contact, but would not turn around to face him.

"I have to return this first; I know you still want it." He claimed and laid down behind her, facing her back. "I'm sorry I took it. I just thought I could keep it safe."

She sniffled. He could tell from the sound of her voice that she'd been crying, which was something he hadn't seen her do in a very long time.

"I didn't realize how attached I'd become to it, and when I found out you were alive, I didn't want to give it back. I'm sorry. Returning it should have been the first thing I did." He whispered, tickling her ear. When she didn't respond, he continued anyway. "I actually believed that having the necklace made you watch over me. I don't know why you would do that, but I used to have dreams about it."

He cautiously touched her back, gently stroking up and down with the back of his finger. She closed her eyes and remained quiet, feeling the necklace for herself and twisting it around in her fingers. After a while, Zuko eventually started to drift off until he heard her speak faintly.

"Maybe it wasn't me looking over you." She whispered.

"What?" he stirred awake.

"This necklace actually doesn't belong to me either. It's my mother's. I took it from her for the same reasons you took it from me. To protect it." She rolled over to face him. "So maybe it was her watching over you instead of me. I used to get the same feeling when I had it."

"Why would your mother want to watch over me?"

"I don't know. She was a good person. She always saw the good in people, but you'd have to ask her."

"She sounds a lot like my uncle."

Katara nodded slowly. Her eyes still looked a bit puffy from when she must have been crying before, so Zuko felt extra miserable when he saw that tears were starting to leak from them again and her breath was getting ragged.

"Shhhh, it's okay." He pushed some hair out of her face and tried to soothe her. "You don't have to trust me now, but if you're anything like the Katara I remember, you'll give me another shot. Let me prove to you that I can be good. I'll do whatever you ask. I'll be your prisoner. Just please Katara." He pleaded with her. Zuko never remembered begging for something this much in his life, not even when his father scarred him.

"Why do you want my forgiveness so bad? Why do you even care?" she watched his fingers play with her hair.

"You weren't the only one who got hurt in Ba Sing Se." He blushed furiously. "I missed you."

Katara didn't respond after that. She closed her eyes and tried to get to sleep, which Zuko took as a way of saying that she'd let him stay. A large yawn overtook him and Zuko couldn't find himself able to stay awake much longer either. He drifted off into a slumber by her side and blew light feathery breathes against her cheek.

When Katara cracked her eyes open to see that he had nodded off, she pulled the blanket up and around his shoulders to keep him warm and lifted herself off the cot to leave and start preparing breakfast for when everybody returned.

**AN:** I know this chapter was a little dramatic, but I felt it was important in order to make the growth in their relationship more believable. Thanks for reading and let me know what you thought :P


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

A few more weeks had passed since Zuko and Katara's fight and to Zuko's luck, they seemed to be getting much closer than ever before. He could tell that Katara was indeed putting forth an effort to put the past behind them and move on to make their relationship easier. Zuko could see that sometimes she would still get a little uncomfortable around him when he tried to joke around with her, but at least they were making progress.

Much progress actually. Zuko began to cherish the nights when neither of them could sleep and they'd stay up talking together while the other men slept. That was when she began to open up to him and tell him about her life thus far. She'd rant about all the hilarious adventures she'd have with the, as she put it, "Gaang", when the Avatar was still alive. Zuko often felt guilty that it was partially because of him that she couldn't have these good times anymore, but she didn't seem to notice and he enjoyed watching her light up at the memories. In turn, Zuko would tell Katara about all the mischief his uncle used to get them in and how frustrated he'd get every time their group would get away from him.

Katara was glad that the past was finally starting to release its grip from her and that it was getting easier to talk about it. She remembered the night her and Zuko recalled their fight at the Northern Water Tribe together and how he was thankful that they didn't leave him to freeze to death in the snow after she had gotten her revenge on him. It was such a serious time when it happened, but Katara surprisingly found that it was easy to laugh about it now, especially when she remembered how determined she was to defeat Zuko.

She was starting to realize how similar she and Zuko really were. Not only had they both lost their mothers from the war, but they both struggled with figuring out who they wanted to be, even going so far as to create alternate identities like when he became the Blue Spirit or when she had once pretended to be the Painted Lady during in her travels. They were finally able to laugh about their childish antics, like when she had stolen the waterbending scroll and Zuko had tied her to a tree.

But Zuko was most surprised to hear about Katara's life since the incident in Ba Sing Se and how the KK originally got started when she was aiding a village in the Earth Kingdom from a Fire Nation raid. She had fought tooth and nail to drive off the raiders and save the people from their burning homes as if she had jumped back in time to when it happened to her own village. With the help of some of the other citizens, she had managed to douse the raid and before she could leave, some of the village's earthbenders had requested to join her on her journey, claiming that they wanted to help end the war as well. Even though she declined their offer, many benders continue to follow Katara and rumor eventually spread that the Avatar's companion was building up a new army. When word hit the Northern Water Tribe, Chief Arnook tried to make a deal that he would send Katara Water Tribe warriors to assist on her journey if she was willing to train them into a successful troop and start taking out Fire Nation soldiers in order to aid in the war. Katara explained how she was at first uncomfortable with the idea of hunting people down, but was forced to eventually agree to his terms since she wanted to help end the war and she knew that without Aang, it could never be done peacefully.

Katara even found the courage to tell Zuko about how she suffered through a long depression while recovering from Ba Sing Se. Her injuries were so severe that she was unable to waterbend and was forced to heal naturally with time. As she started to regain her strength, the group had decided to travel back to the Southern Water Tribe in order to stay hidden and figure out what their next move should be, but every plan they came up with seemed hopeless without Aang by their side, so Katara decided to leave on her own, not being able to stay in the shambles that was the Southern Water Tribe knowing that she wasn't making a difference there. Sokka and Toph had become angry with Katara for her decision to leave and chose to stay behind in order to keep trying to figure out a plan to defeat the Fire Lord when the comet came. Living on her own, Katara was able to shape herself back into the warrior she once was and continued traveling around the world, having yet to return to the Southern Water Tribe.

* * *

With the seasons change came much colder weather and the soldiers spent more time huddled around the fire than anything else. Zuko often found himself joining them even though he didn't need the campfire to keep himself warm. One night, Zuko overheard some of them men talking about how they couldn't wait for something called "winter break".

"What's winter break?" Zuko asked casually and the men eyed him with excitement. The warrior sitting next to him clued him in.

"Every winter, Katara lets everybody travel home for a couple of months to reunite with their families. For the men who want to keep serving her, we all meet back up at a designated location in the spring."

Zuko was surprised. He'd never heard of something like this before. In the Fire Nation, you served until you gave your last drop of life and your family was shamed if you ever made an attempt to leave.

"Do a lot of soldiers come back?" he asked.

"Yeah, most of them do because we all chose to join the KK in the first place, but some don't because they want to focus on starting a family or something like that. I think that's the main reason Katara gives us these breaks, because she doesn't want us to feel like we're trapped or something. She knows how important family is and we're able to come and go as we please without losing any honor."

Zuko nodded his head, knowing that Katara would be the one to create such a thing. The warrior turned back to the drumstick he was devouring as Zuko wondered what would happen to him over winter break. He couldn't go back to the Fire Nation, that was for sure. He probably wouldn't even be allowed to since he was technically still a prisoner, although he was barely treated like one anymore.

Seeing Zuko's dilemma play across his face, one of the earthbenders named Chin, who Zuko had become quite close with, was sitting across from him on the other side of the fire and proposed that Zuko come home with him and stay with his family for the holidays.

"I'm sure Katara wouldn't mind if you made a good argument." He suggested.

Zuko was warmed greatly by Chin's offer, but he had to decline. It was not his place to disturb someone's home life while they celebrated their return with their family. And even though it made him a little nervous to admit it, he didn't like the idea of being separated from Katara for so long after he just managed to bring her back into his life. On that thought, Zuko wondered where Katara herself went for winter break since she had told him that she hadn't returned to the Southern Water Tribe in years.

* * *

The next morning Zuko walked up to Katara, asking if he could speak with her. She nodded and opened the flap to her tent so that they could speak inside while she packed up her things.

"What is it Zuko?" she asked while squatting down to roll up some maps.

"What's going to happen to me during winter break?" he asked carefully, "What have you decided to do with me?"

Katara stilled for a second and then continued to roll up some scrolls. Zuko noticed that she was avoiding making eye contact with him.

"Katara . . ." he nudged.

After what felt like an hour to Zuko, she finally turned her head up to look him in the eye.

"I'm letting you go." She swallowed.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that I'm letting you go back to your family like the other men. You don't need to come back." She explained almost sad.

"But there's nothing left for me there," he tried to explain to her. "I can't just waltz back into the Fire Nation after I gave myself up to you. And I'm still your prisoner after all. You need me around; there's information I have that could help you in the war!" He was getting frantic. He didn't like the idea of being abandoned again.

"I know you have information Zuko, but I don't want it from you anymore. I know that seems like a stupid decision, but I don't like using people to get what I want. And you know as well as I do that you're barely a prisoner here anymore." She stood to collect herself before continuing. "Everybody will be leaving soon, so you need to find someplace to go as well." She muttered before lowering her eyes and exiting the tent, but before she even left, Zuko already knew where he was going to go.

A couple of days later it was time for all the soldiers to leave. Zuko felt a bit of nostalgia as a couple of the men came up to pat him on the back and tell him that he better be there when they meet back up in the spring. Zuko watched as they left one by one, eager to see their families again. He almost wished that he had a loving family to return to like they did, but he reminded himself to not get hopeful for things that couldn't be reached.

He heard some rustling behind him and he turned around to see Katara putting together the last of her things. He smirked and walked over to her. He hadn't told her about his plan since she probably wasn't going to like it, but she didn't have a choice in the matter as far as he was concerned. He decided as soon as he'd heard about winter break that he needed to stay with Katara wherever she went whether she liked it or not. He could confidently say that they were becoming good friends as he'd hoped and he felt the need to keep her safe, even though he knew she really didn't need a body guard to protect herself.

Noticing that Zuko was still there and walking up to her, Katara sighed, not surprised by his actions.

"I thought I told you that you needed to find someplace to go." She chided him.

"I did. I'm going with you."

Katara groaned at his stubbornness. She really wasn't that shocked considering it was the same stunt he pulled when they had gone into town together, which had eventually led to their fight that same night. If she knew Zuko at all, she also knew that he wasn't going to give in. Admittedly, part of her was a little excited that Zuko wanted to come with her, but she knew she was just being selfish and ridiculous. He was probably just going since he had nowhere else to turn, not so he could be with her.

"I want to keep you company." He told her when she didn't speak for a while.

She shook her head and sighed, knowing she'd been defeated before it even began.

"Alright, but I'm going to Ba Sing Se." she claimed. It was actually one of the main reasons she was wary about him going with her. She just hoped that going to the city wouldn't stir up some old emotions for her.

Zuko was surprised to hear her choice of destination since Ba Sing Se was now under control of the Fire Nation and going there would be very dangerous for her, and maybe even him. He wasn't sure exactly how much his reputation had suffered since his "disappearance". Seeing his shocked expression, Katara explained further.

"I have important business that I have to attend to there."

"What it is?"

"I can't tell you. Believe me, I want to, but I can't."

He was a little disappointed by her answer, but he knew she wasn't willingly trying to hide anything from him. He nodded in understanding to her request as she bent down to pick something up off the ground, which turned out to be Zuko's armor and swords that he had brought with him when he'd first been taken captive.

"I should have given these back to you a while ago," She continued. "You can wear them, but I think that it's best that you hide them as we get closer to Ba Sing Se because we need to keep a low profile."

Thankfully, Ba Sing Se wasn't too far away and they were able to reach it in a few days journey. They made sure to cover themselves up well so as to not be noticed. Katara immediately led Zuko to the Middle Ring were the average class of citizens lived. Zuko felt it was a good choice since the Lower Ring was too dangerous and the Upper Ring was too expensive, not to mention that they'd probably be easily recognized there. She led him to a complex of small apartments that citizens usually rent out as they passed through the city. It was smart since no one in the area would bother to remember their faces. Fortunately, Katara was able to rent out an apartment for them very quickly and easily, although they were running rather low on cash and could only afford one with one bedroom. Zuko could tell that Katara was a little ashamed of not being able to provide for both of them, but he didn't mind in the slightest. He knew that Katara was originally planning to come to Ba Sing Se alone anyway, besides, the thought of having to share everything so closely with Katara excited him a little, but he also knew his place and that Katara deserved his utmost respect, so he offered to sleep on the floor, while she took the bed.

A few days had already passed and Zuko wondered exactly how long they would be spending there, but he knew Katara probably wouldn't give him a straight answer if he asked. The apartment was tiny, with only a bedroom, a bathroom, and a small kitchenette, but neither of them complained considering they had both lived in much worse conditions before. They made a point not to leave the apartment often except for to get food and supplies they may have needed. It often got quiet with just the two of them compared to the rowdy mess the soldiers used to be before they left, but Zuko almost preferred it that way. There were a few perks to living there. Whoever had rented the apartment before them had left a Pai Sho board, and Zuko enjoyed spending the time to teach Katara how to play. Katara proved to be a fast learner and after they played once, they started playing frequently throughout the day. She was a smart girl, and with only a little knowledge of how to play, she was able to defeat him on many occasions, which made for more intriguing games.

As they played a game one evening, Zuko tried to prod Katara into revealing more information as to why they had come to Ba Sing Se in the first place, but she wouldn't withdrawal her defenses.

"I know that it's hard Zuko, but you're just going to have to let it go. We'll be leaving here soon enough." She tried to close the conversation, but the idea that there were still things Katara wouldn't tell him didn't sit right with Zuko.

"Are you in some sort of trouble? Is that why you don't want to tell me, so you can protect me?" he worried.

"Zuko don't be silly. If that were the case, then I would have refused from ever letting you come with me in the first place."

Even though he was starting to get the feeling that perhaps he was becoming a little too overprotective of her, it still made Zuko nervous and he couldn't help himself from keeping an extremely watchful eye over her whenever they left the apartment.

* * *

The next morning, Katara woke up extra early before the sun had begun to rise. Carefully, she crept out of bed and tip-toed around Zuko's sleeping body on the floor. She slipped on some black tights and a black sweatshirt and quickly scribbled a note onto a ripped piece of paper:

_Zuko, _

_Went out. Be back later. Don't get worried if I'm gone for a while._

_-Katara. _

_P.S. We can play Pai Sho when I come home._

She left the note resting on the kitchen counter and soundlessly took a couple of quick glances at Zuko while he slept, his arms sprawled out above his head and his chest lightly rising and falling with his breaths. The two of them really were becoming quite close friends and Katara found it surprising how much it hurt her to have to hide things from him. She'd never had a confidant like him before, and although she knew she had blindly trusted him in the past, she now felt more confident with his motives than ever before. She was slowly beginning to trust him again and it felt good to think that she was growing into a stronger person because of it. She would never forget the memories of what Zuko had once done to her, and she would always keep a slight barrier up with him as she did for everyone she knew, but it still felt nice to have someone to talk with.

Before leaving, she took one last look at his face to make sure he was still sleeping. His calmed and content expression made her heart quake a little as he unknowingly scratched at the side of his strong neck. His feet were sticking out from under the blanket at the opposite end and he twisted to his side to wrap himself up in the covers more, so Katara made a motion to turn and leave before he decided to wake up.

She was exhausted by the time she returned to the apartment. She had traveled all the way to the Lower Ring in order to meet with the man of the business she needed to attend to. She remembered back to when the Order of the White Lotus had first contacted her about a year ago, when the KK had begun getting more popular. Master Pakku had been the one to introduce her into the society, although she was not considered an actual member like he was. Katara had been hoping that Pakku was indeed going to be the member that she was going to meet with that day, but she was a little disappointed to find that it was Master Piandao of the Fire Nation waiting for her instead. He was the most recent member that she had met, and she could tell that he was still a bit in question of her loyalty to the group, but none the less she liked Piandao and knew that in time he would learn to trust her as the others did.

Although she was becoming more and more integrated with the Order of the White Lotus, Katara knew that there were more members that she had yet to meet, though she was friendly with most of the main contributors such as Pakku, Piandao, Bumi, and Jeong Jeong. Though she did not push the idea of wanting to become a full-fledged member, she was still honored to play the part for them that she did since these were the men that were actually making a difference in the war.

As she sprinted back home, she ran through everything of what Piandao had told her in her head. She recalled all the locations of weapons factories that were secretly springing up throughout the fire nation. Rumors had been circulating that the Fire Nation was experimenting with new technology and had managed to create a weapon that could take out an enemy from long distances in one shot. Such weapons were extremely dangerous to rebels of the war and needed to be destroyed as soon as possible, before they were released and, gods forbid, started being used on innocent citizens.

She and Piandao had spent all day in the cellar of a rotten tavern, carefully pinpointing the exact locations of each factory and burning the images in her brain, as it was too dangerous to write the information down and take it with her. She silently thanked Zuko for playing all those Pai Sho games with her, as it helped train her memory tremendously.

She promised Piandao that she'd head for the Fire Nation as soon as she could, but he rejected the notion. He explained how the winter months were a large time for celebration in the Fire Nation and that it would be too difficult to act stealthy with all the festivities going on. She needed to wait until after the holidays were over if she wanted to be successful in destroying each factory. Part of her wondered if they had assigned this task to her because they knew about her work as the Painted Lady, but she shook the thought; it didn't matter so long as she was able to help.

But she was still quizzical over what Piandao meant when he told her that "the White Lotus can always be reached". Did he think that she wasn't going to be able to complete her assignment by herself?

By the time she left Piandao and the tavern, it was black with night. She forced herself to sprint discretely all the way back to the middle ring, hoping that Zuko had found her note and wasn't too worried about her. She pondered frustrated over what would happen to Zuko when the time came. He couldn't come with her to the Fire Nation as it'd be too dangerous for him since he'd be too easily recognized. Plus, she couldn't tell him about the mission the White Lotus had given her. She wished she could, but she made a promise at the start of her affiliation with them that she'd never give away any information concerning them or their affairs. She sighed at the thought of her and Zuko having to separate eventually. She was starting to really like the feeling of having someone to talk to who actually listened and cared, or at least pretended to care.

When she arrived back at the apartment she was disappointed to find that Zuko was gone. But it was getting late and she was too tired to go out and search for him. He was probably out getting some last minute groceries anyway. Katara kicked off her shoes, took off her black clothes, and threw them on the bed. She hopped into the shower and turned the heat up to the highest temperature possible so that the room filled up with steam. She stood there for what felt like forever, but the hot droplets felt so good against her aching skin that she couldn't find herself to turn the water off.

Zuko came back soon after carrying a bag of food that he was going to prepare for Katara when she returned. He figured from her note that she left to go attend to the business that she had mentioned, which meant that they weren't going to be staying in Ba Sing Se much longer, so he wanted to treat her with a good meal before they left. He was a little frightened when he awoke that morning to find that she was gone, but he knew he shouldn't get used to smothering her, and at least she left a note. Zuko wasn't ecstatic over the idea of her being gone all day, but he smiled when he read her promise that she'd return home to play Pai Sho with him, and he especially liked the fact that she used the word _home _in her note as opposed to something else like the word "back". Maybe he was overlooking it, but it made him feel like she thought his presence was considered home for her.

He was relieved to hear the shower running when he walked through the door, as well as seeing Katara's boots thrown across the bedroom floor, signaling her return. He dropped the groceries on the kitchen counter and set aside a head of cabbage that he'd managed to swipe from a distracted and disgruntled merchant. He entered the bedroom to clean up Katara's shoes and clothes for her before going to work on making dinner. It made him feel rather feminine, having to wait all day for his roommate to come home only to cook her diner at her return, but for Katara, he noticed that he didn't completely mind. It reminded him of when him and his uncle were refugees and had to take turns trying to attain food for the day. Although those weren't the happiest memories of his life, it felt nice to be able to depend on someone as they depended on you in return. It was a sort of push and pull relationship, something that his uncle had once attempted to explain to him when Zuko was a young and hotheaded boy.

The longer Katara stayed in the shower, the harder it was becoming for her to breathe. There had been so much steam created from the heat that she began to feel dizzy as she continued scrubbing her hair, and the fact that she hadn't eaten yet today wasn't helping. Once she was clean enough, she willed herself to turn off the faucet, fighting to stay conscious. She barely dried herself off with a towel before wrapping it around her torso and entering the bedroom to collapse on the bed, the dizziness and nausea overwhelming her as her lungs still searched for fresh air.

Zuko was cutting up some fruit when he heard the door to the bathroom fly open and bang against the wall. He caught the sound of a moan and leaned back to peek into the bedroom only to see that Katara was lying face down on the bed with nothing but a towel on.

"Katara!" He rushed in to help her up. Had she been hurt? He knew he shouldn't have agreed to let her go out alone.

He swiftly rolled her over, careful to make sure that her towel stayed in place. She was breathing a little heavier than usual.

"I'm fine Zuko. I'm fine. Don't worry." She breathed out, trying to stay awake. He wasn't convinced.

"Katara, what happened?" he asked, leaning over her to check that she was indeed unmarked.

"Nothing. I just had a long day. I stayed in the shower a bit too long and got dizzy." She whispered. "I just need to rest for a little while."

"Have you eaten at all?"

"No."

Zuko sighed at her irresponsibility. At least she was safe at home, with him.

"Can you dress yourself?" he asked and she nodded her head against the bed sheets, her eyes still closed. "Alright, I'm going to go get you something to eat." He finished and left the bedroom, closing the door behind him to let her change in private.

Zuko finished cutting up the fruit and sliced up a loaf of bread in order to get something in Katara's stomach. He waited another minute before knocking on the door to let her have some extra time to change. When he didn't get an answer, he slowly creaked open the door only to find that she hadn't changed at all and still remained lying across the bed in her towel. Zuko sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose as he entered the bedroom and set the plate of food down on the adjoining nightstand. He went over to the dresser where Katara had put away her things and picked out her heavy black sweatpants and a blue shirt. He took his thumb and fore-finger and shaped them into a claw to pinch at the width around Katara's right knee to try and get her to waken up a little, but she wasn't having it and attempted to quickly jerk the sensation off of her.

He groaned slightly in annoyance that she wasn't cooperating, but also because he knew he was going to have to dress her, which he was sure she wouldn't have appreciated had she been awake. Her skin was still a bit wet from the shower and when he tried to sweep off the remaining water droplets from her exposed skin, he noticed that it was also still warm and smooth from the steam, or maybe it was just like that all of the time. Zuko could already feel himself getting extremely aroused and he knew he had to hurry and dress her before he couldn't take it anymore and had to excuse himself. He reached for the black sweatpants and quickly guided them over her feet and up her legs towards her thighs. He didn't dare attempt to deal with her under-wrappings; she'd probably slit his throat if she woke up in the morning and discovered he actually put them on for her. He tried to keep his focus on the stain spots that covered the ceiling in case the towel decided to rise up by any chance as he made sure that her pants were secured around her hips. The fact that he was standing in front of her lying, half-naked body with his hands on her thighs wasn't helping Zuko much with his growing erection, and of course, this was the time that Katara had decided to stir back into consciousness.

Katara shifted and rotated her head a little to face Zuko. She figured out what he was doing and could tell that her own face was turning red with embarrassment from the fact that she couldn't even find the strength to dress herself. Her first instinct was to slap him, or at least kick him away, but her arms and legs felt like jelly and her head had started pounding. Although admittedly, as she calmed down, she was sort-of enjoying Zuko's warm hands so close to her bare skin, but she knew she had to get up before he saw anything he shouldn't have. She focused her eyes to look up at Zuko's face, and it seemed as though he had found something very interesting on the ceiling since he wouldn't look down from it. He handed her the blue shirt and she struggled a bit as she tried to sit up to put it on without completely removing the towel. Zuko could see from his peripheral vision that she had managed to get her arms through the sleeves and her head partially through the collar, so he shut his eyes completely and helped her pull down the rest of the shirt to her waist.

As soon as she got her shirt on all the way, Katara immediately collapsed backwards back onto the bed and groaned, partially from nausea and partially from embarrassment. Lifting her legs off the side of the mattress, Zuko shifted her sideways to help her lay down on the bed properly and managed to get her to chew and swallow a little bit of the fruit he had prepared for her before she started to nod off again. Zuko guessed that they weren't going to be playing Pai Sho anytime that night, but he couldn't blame Katara for being tired; she'd obviously had a long day.

Thankfully Katara hadn't been aware enough to notice his arousal, and his erection finally started to go away. For a little while he sat next to her on the edge of the bed and rubbed the back of his neck before bending down to pull his shirt off over his head and slide off his shoes. He prepared to take his place on the floor below her, but before he could get up, Katara had reached out to pull him down to the spot next to her. It was the least he deserved for putting up with her for the night. As he drew closer to her, Zuko tried to resist the urge to pull her close to him and hold her while she slept. He fought the urge to pull her body on top of his and run his fingertips up and down her bare skin, groping where necessary. Annoyingly, he felt his dick begin to stir back into excitement, but at least this time he could hide it under the covers.

* * *

Katara awoke late the next morning to find that Zuko was still sleeping across from her, which was strange since he usually always got up so early. She studied his face a bit more like she had before when she left him the note the previous morning. He really had become quite handsome over the last four years. His face appeared calmer and more collected, happier almost, well, at least for Zuko. But he looked especially peaceful as he slept. With caution, Katara stretched her hand out to push back the hair on his forehead and studied the scar on his face to see how much it had changed over the years. It was still clearly noticeable, but some of the bright color had faded and it didn't seem as puffy as it used to be when she had last touched it.

Katara began to blush wildly as she recalled the events of last night. Zuko really did seem to be changing. He came off so much more tame and gentlemanly that sometimes she forgot that they used to be enemies. Being in Ba Sing Se did bring back some old memories for her, but every time she saw Zuko flash a small smile at her, her anxiousness tended to disappear. She found herself not enjoying the thought that they'd have to eventually separate. He was becoming a good friend to her and she was beginning to realize that he felt the same way, perhaps even more. She noticed the way that he sometimes looked at her body, and she'd be lying if she said it didn't give her a bit of a confidence boost. Although she didn't know how he felt about her after the events of last night, she thought she felt him press himself against her little more than he needed to. And though she wasn't sure of it, she thought she even felt a very specific part of him pressing into her inner thigh. Katara's heart thumped a little at the arousing thought of Zuko's muscular, naked body grinding forcefully into hers, his groin rocking her back and forth.

But she quickly tried to shake the images. What would Aang think of her disgraceful mind? Would he even approve of them being friends, or would he be disgusted by her growing attraction for Zuko? He did assist in Aang's death after all. Feeling a little guilty, Katara retracted her hand from Zuko's face, but began to feel a little bit better when Zuko lazily opened his eyes to her.

Zuko stirred a bit when he felt a motion glide across his forehead. It felt like a feather trying to sweep away any problems that clouded his mind. He tried to open his eyes, but fear that the sensation would cease caused him to give up and surrender to the feeling. He felt it run down the side of his face and across his jaw line until it finally stopped at his chin. He waited for it to come back, but when it didn't he was forced to open his eyes in slight annoyance.

He found Katara still lying across from him, looking down at his hands with somewhat of a gloomy expression on her face. Zuko scooched a little closer to her and rested the palm of his hand on the side of her neck, using his thumb to caress up and down on a small patch of her skin. Her cheeks started to pinken.

"I'm sorry about last night." She whispered to him.

"It wasn't a big deal." He lied.

Zuko rolled over slightly to reach some of the remaining bread on the nightstand behind him. He handed a piece to Katara and looked up to notice that it was already well into the day and raining heavily outside.

"So I guess we're not leaving any time soon?" he questioned.

"No. I think it's going to be like this all day. We should try and leave tomorrow though."

Zuko nodded his head in agreement and they began to lift themselves up out of bed. They spent the rest of the morning drinking tea and playing a couple of games of Pai Sho by the window as it poured, like Katara had promised. And as the day grew further, a comfortable silence grew between the two, and Zuko found himself wishing that he could spend more days like this.

* * *

**AN: **Sorry I was a little late on the update, but this chapter took a little longer to write than I expected. And also, thanks for all the great reviews you guys have been leaving me. They're serious the greatest part of my day :D


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

The next morning, Katara slowly rose out of bed to stretch her limbs and yawned as her bare feet sounded a small slap against the wood floor. She craned her neck from side to side in order to get out a couple of cracks and made her way over to the bathroom. She hadn't noticed that a light was shining through the cracks in the door frame.

When she opened the door, Zuko was already inside, wet with nothing but a towel on and some shaving cream spread across his jaw.

"There's this new thing called knocking." He scolded her reflection in the mirror.

"Sorry." She groaned, still trying to wake up. She didn't know how Zuko was always able to get up so early. She reached for her tooth brush and wet it under the faucet, then looked up to the mirror to notice what Zuko was doing. "I didn't know you shaved."

"I don't. My beard's just invisible." He joked sarcastically.

"I just figured you couldn't grow facial hair." She teased back.

"Don't insult me so." He flicked his wet fingers at her to splash her with a few water drops. "And don't you look just radiant this morning." He said, eyeing her disheveled hair and clothes as she tried to spit out a clever remark in retaliation with a mouth full of toothpaste. He smirked and finished shaving off the final bits of stubble from his chin, then rinsed off his face and metal blade.

"Don't come into the bedroom, I'm changing." He told her as he left the bathroom.

"No promises." She called back.

After she'd taken a quick shower herself and gotten dressed, Katara packed up the remainder of their things. She was starting to think that she'd never get used to packing. Zuko was waiting for her in the kitchen, finishing off an apple. It was still early, so not a lot of people were out and about yet, which made their safe exit all the more easier, not to mention it was still foggy out from all the rain. Katara left the keys and the final payments for the apartment on the counter, and they left Ba Sing Se for good.

Upon exiting through the gates, Zuko asked Katara which way they were headed since she had still yet to mention any indication of where they were going.

"I was thinking someplace around Omashu. It's safer and not too far." She responded, though not too confidently. Zuko wasn't entirely pleased with her answer.

"What about home?" he suggested.

"What do you mean by 'home'?"

"I mean the Southern Water Tribe. You said that you haven't been there in years."

"Yeah, and there's also a reason for that." Katara didn't like what Zuko was getting at. Home didn't seem like the most intriguing place right then.

". . . I'm listening." He pushed her to say more.

"I already told you about this. I couldn't stay knowing that I wasn't changing anything, so I left and Toph, Sokka, and the rest of my family got really fucking pissed at me. They said I was running away from the real issue." She sighed, not wanting to remember.

"But surely they don't think that anymore. And how do you know they're even still there? They could have left themselves."

"I'm sure someone's still there."

There was a long silence as they hiked up a steep hill.

"I think we should go." Zuko continued.

"Ha. And since when did you become the leader here?"

"I don't see you coming up with anything better."

"I do remember bringing up Omashu. Besides, the Southern Water Tribe is half way around the world."

"Katara . . ."

She wouldn't look him in the eye as they continued to hike.

"Katara I know you secretly want to. If it doesn't work out we can leave."

She nearly collapsed inside herself. She was tired of always arguing with Zuko, which he probably noticed since she almost always let him have his way.

"Urgggh, fine." She groaned, annoyed. "How come I always let you win?"

"Because deep down you know I'm always right." He smiled.

"Shut up Zuko."

Traveling to the nearest port, they were able to catch a ride on a passenger ship. It would take them a least a year to get to the Southern Water Tribe by foot, and by the speed the ship was going they'd probably be able to cut the trip short to about one, two weeks tops. Thankfully not a lot of people were on board considering the Southern Water Tribe was not the most tempting tourist attraction.

Zuko was starting to notice how nervous Katara was getting. As they leaned off the side of the ship's railing and talked, Katara made it very clear how she truly believed that her family did not want to see her again, but Zuko couldn't understand why. It wasn't like she actually betrayed them, she just went off on her own, but then again, Zuko didn't know her family dynamic and he wasn't particularly well informed about Water Tribe culture. Was it really that bad to want to go off on your own? Plenty of people did it in the Fire Nation, himself included. None the less, he knew that going home was something Katara needed. If it bothered her this much, then she needed to confront it. He told her this, but it didn't seem to help much.

"I'm not the only one I'm worried for." She stared up at him. "Just because I'm close to you doesn't mean they will be too. I'm not going to lie and tell you that they won't try to kill you as soon as they see you. If Sokka and Toph are there, they'll know who you are." She shivered slightly from the wind.

"Katara, if they are truly anything like you, then I would never expect them to welcome me with open arms. I think you're forgetting how our friendship began as well."

Katara smirked and remembered how much she used to tell herself she hated him. She was sure that the people of the Southern Water Tribe would do the same as well, so she would have to protect him as much as she could, though she was worried about how much good it would actually do.

Katara managed to eat a little bit of bread for dinner before getting tired and going off to bed in their cabin, but Zuko decided to stay out a little longer. The night began to grow deeper and Zuko hoped that everything really would go well in the Southern Water Tribe. He found it hard to understand her family. If he had someone like Katara in his life like they did, he'd always be happy to see her, even if she did hurt him by leaving. It seemed as though they couldn't understand what she wanted out of her life, and Zuko was quickly reminded of his own family for a minute.

He and Katara really did have a lot in common. They both felt like they didn't belong anywhere, and although Katara was hesitant to talk about such things, he knew it was true. She almost reminded him of how he used to be all those years ago: lost and running after things that wouldn't make him happy. Maybe Zuko didn't know exactly what he wanted either, but he'd be pleased if he could help Katara discover what she needed. She clearly thought she already knew, but Zuko could tell how scared she really was. She was afraid that she was never going to be truly happy, so she devoted herself to making a difference, that way at least she could say that she mattered in the world. He knew the feeling well. And fighting to put an end to the war was not a bad alternative, but Zuko did want her to be happy as well. When they'd first reunited, Zuko was impressed to see how mature she'd become since Ba Sing Se, but it wasn't until now that he realized how much she truly needed him, just like he needed her. She was just too stubborn to admit it.

He had been the same way before he met her again. He was fighting for something he wasn't sure he even wanted, but finding Katara again almost gave him a new purpose. At first he thought he was just supposed to make up for his mistakes in the past, but now he knew that he also had to pull Katara out of the pit that he'd been stuck in for so long as well. She needed something, or maybe someone, to believe in.

He shook the thoughts off before getting too emotional and left the starry night of the deck to join Katara in their cabin.

Upon entering, Zuko's eyes focused onto a large lump on the floor and he realized it was Katara. She'd moved a blanket and pillow onto the floor to sleep, clearly showing that she intended for Zuko to take the bed. It was a sweet notion, but Zuko wasn't comfortable enough letting her sleep on the floor, especially knowing how much pressure she was under. Slowly and as quietly as he could, he walked over to her and shimmied his arms under her back and knees. He gently lifted her off the ground and laid her under the covers of the bed. He debated whether or not he should be the replacement for her spot on the floor or if he should just lie down next to her. The bed was big enough for two after all and she'd probably never know he was there considering he always woke up before she did. He knew he should be a gentleman and sleep on the floor, but the opportunity to sleep in an actually bed seemed too desirable at the moment. As he slowly lowered himself onto the bed, the pressure from his weight seemed to make Katara stir a bit and she moaned and rolled over to face him. Zuko stilled in his place and checked to make sure that Katara was still sleeping before he continued to kick off his shoes and lie down next to her. Before closing his eyes, he wiped some stray hairs away from her face and lightly draped his left arm over her body.

The creaking of the ship's moans as the outside waves pushed up against it and reverberated through the floorboards woke Katara in the middle of the night. All the lights were doused, but she could still tell that she did not remain in her place on the floor. She could feel the comfort of the bed under her as well as the soft sheets and something heavier overtop of her. She could hear Zuko's light breathing across from her and once her eyes started adjusting to the depth of the night, she could recognize the outline of his face and his arm draped across her. His warm body heat felt good against her bare skin and she subconsciously scooted closer to him to escape the rising draft.

Lightly pressing her face against his chest, Katara heard Zuko moan softly into her hair. She knew it was wrong to be pushing the boundaries she set up with him, but it felt right in the moment. She didn't feel the need to leave his comfort, and she hadn't been so close to someone in a long time.

Zuko stirred a little to realize that Katara was pressed against his chest. He was thankful that her head was below him and she couldn't see the spreading blush that was attacking his face and neck. As tenderly as he could, he wrapped his arm tighter around her and pulled her in a little closer. Zuko moved his hand down to her back and rubbed up and down her spine through the fabric.

Katara jumped a little when realizing that she had woken up Zuko. She tried desperately to feign sleep, but couldn't help letting out a small moan when his warm fingers started stroking her back. Her mind flicked back to how nice he looked when she walked in on him in the bathroom that morning and didn't bother to restrain herself as she placed her fingertips underneath his shirt and against his abdomen. She could feel him sigh into her hair again as he delicately laid his hand over hers.

With time, their bodies ended up intertwining. Katara's thigh eventually found itself sliding in between Zuko's as his arms weaved around her back and pulled her even closer. Though he moved slowly and carefully, Zuko's mind was running ramped with want and he didn't even bother attempting to stop his growing erection. He could hear Katara give a small intake of breath as it strongly pressed into her inner thigh. He was being bold, but then again so was she. She shifted her leg a bit seductively against him and made humming sounds with her lips pressed against the nape of his neck. Zuko was losing any control he had left and swiftly rolled himself over top of her and lifted her legs up to wrap them around his waist.

He lifted his head out of the crook between her neck and shoulder to look at her. Her face was flushed red and she was breathing heavily, which played to his delight as he felt her chest heave against his. He watched her eyes carefully, looking for any hint of regret or fear to splay across her features, but he found none. She sweetly ran her fingertips from his neck up and across his jaw to the back of his head where she wantonly played with his hair. Zuko moaned helplessly as she massaged her fingers up though his scalp and he pressed his groin harder against hers, making them sink into the bed further.

As soon as she brought her hand to rest against his scar, Zuko lost all rational thinking. The only thing that mattered was the feeling of them both there in the moment. He never wanted to leave the bed, let alone remove himself from his spot above her. And he knew she felt it too. She tightened her legs around his waist and his body took it as a sign to go further. He began grinding himself into her, wanting so bad to remove the clothes that still kept them apart. He lifted himself up a little and threw off his shirt, then bent down to help slip hers off as well.

Katara's mind was like a blanket of fuzz as Zuko worked to remove her clothing. His warm, light breaths against her face calmed her, while his ardent erection set her insides on fire. It was like being in a state of complete bliss even though her heart was beating faster than a hummingbird's. His gentle fingers worked themselves under her shirt and traced the outlines of her stomach, but before he could remove her top, he noticed Katara's necklace tied around her throat and moved his hands upward to untie it.

Katara quickly came back to reality as she felt her mother's necklace be removed from her body. Zuko was attractive, but that didn't give her a good reason to have sex with him. They didn't love each other and the realization of it made Katara's heart sink. Before he could go any further, Katara lifted herself up and gently pushed Zuko away from her. She knew she was hurting him and she felt terrible, but she couldn't go through with it. She wasn't the one.

"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" he asked worried, checking over her body.

She shook her head back and forth, but wouldn't meet his gaze.

"I'm sorry." She whispered and left to run to the bathroom.

Katara looked at herself in the bathroom mirror and tried to keep herself from crying. When had she gotten so weak? She'd never come so close to losing herself before. She liked Zuko, but that was all she could do with him. _Like him,_ nothing else. She felt ashamed of herself for leading him on. He was probably furious with her and she wouldn't blame him.

A tear began to streak its way down her cheek as she heard a light knocking on the door. She didn't answer. She couldn't. She knew it was Zuko and she refused to let him hear the trepid and shaky nature that had taken over her voice. She turned to lock the door, but he had already started to open it before she got the chance. Katara quickly spun back around, placed her hands at the edges of the sink, and lowered her head down, not ready for Zuko to see what she looked like.

"Katara . . ."

Zuko watched as Katara tried to steady herself against the sink as her body shook. He felt like such as idiot. He always took it too far, never knowing when to stop. Even now he was probably taking it too far. He was sure she didn't want to see him, yet there he was standing in the bathroom doorway like a moron.

"I'm sorry Katara." He was having trouble finding words to explain himself. Admittedly, he wasn't his brightest in these types of situations and not all of the blood had returned back to his head yet.

When she didn't respond, Zuko entered a bit further and forced Katara to turn and face him. He brushed the hair away from her face and wiped away the streaks under her eyes.

"I'm so sorry Katara. I shouldn't have . . . I'm sorry."

He tried to continue, but she kept shaking her head no. She began to speak as he pulled out her mother's necklace and attempted to tie it back around her collar.

"It's not your fault." She breathed. "It's mine."

They didn't talk much after that. Katara rinsed her face in the sink and cleaned herself up as Zuko stood by and watched to make sure she was okay. They were both embarrassed about the night's events and talking would only make it more awkward. Zuko almost wished that he'd just taken the hint and let her sleep on the floor, but of course he had managed to take two steps backward instead of one step forward. He was upset that they hadn't been able to finish their _activities _that night, but he was even more frustrated over the fact that he basically frightened away the only person he could really talk to. Was he really that repulsive?

After a while, Katara and Zuko were on speaking terms again, but they still weren't as close as they had been previously. The closer they got to the Southern Water Tribe, the more anxious Katara got and it was hard for her to not be able to talk to Zuko about it. She hoped that he was correct when he said that most of her family wouldn't be there anymore. There were times when she thought of mentioning some things to him so that he could prepare himself for the worst, but their confidence in each other had become too strained. She hated herself knowing that she was the reason for their lost friendship and she wanted desperately to make it up to him, but every time she got close to him again, she got frazzled and embarrassed from the memory of what they had almost done.

As she stood leaning against the railing of the ship, Katara could recognize the cold smells wiping through the air and the outlines of the frozen landscape that used to be her home. She began to shake and tied her jacket tighter around her torso, though she suspected that the cold wasn't the cause for it. Her hands gripped the railing tighter before Zuko came over and rested his palm on the back of hers. She felt bad; he still had no idea what he was getting himself into.

* * *

**AN:** sorry for the late update. Final exams are a bitch.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

They didn't dock directly into the Southern Water Tribe. Having to hike a couple of miles through the frozen plain didn't sound extremely welcoming to Zuko, but it wasn't enough to make him want to turn back. He knew Katara needed to be there, and for some reason, he felt like he needed it too.

He got more irritated when he felt the ice begin to severely burn his hands. He attempted to use his firebending to warm himself up, but the biting weather made it difficult to focus, as well as the fact that he had also made a mental note prior to try and refrain from any firebending while they were around the tribe. He didn't want to be the cause of a commotion, and he knew Katara wasn't going to be so lenient with him during this time. He could only wonder what was going through her head.

Katara's heart thumped harder with each trudge through the snow. The nipping wind was icy and painful, but she barely noticed. She could feel herself starting to sweat from the anticipation and tried to calm herself down through her breathing. It was like shockwaves were running up through her bones and into her heart, only to bounce back off and shoot through the rest of her body. She could tell Zuko was having trouble keeping up; he wasn't used to traveling through such extreme weather and she silently thanked him for refraining to make a problem about it.

The terrain was the same as she remembered it: vast and seemingly peaceful, but not particularly anything special to look at. As they got closer to the village, Katara could begin to make out some differences. The buildings looked better constructed, and more work was being put into the wall that was to surround them, though it wasn't completely finished yet. All in all, it was the same scant little village she had grown up in, it just looked as though it was being kept under better care.

Zuko could also begin to feel himself get nervous as buildings and people came into view. He pulled the hood to his coat tighter over his forehead to help hide his face, though he knew it wouldn't prove to be of much use; if her friends were there, they'd recognize him for sure. The closer they got, the more anxious he became and the more he felt the need to firebend, but he reminded himself that he couldn't do anything that would make trouble, besides just being there in the first place.

They trudged further and further into the village, but with each step it seemed as though they weren't moving at all. A headache was beginning to form in Zuko's temples as they finally approached a figure, who unlike the other people, had ceased from moving away from them as they arrived. The old woman stood firm, eyes never leaving Katara's face as they stopped in front of her.

"Hello Gran Gran."

The woman didn't reply and continued to glare Katara up and down for a while before finally looking over Zuko's figure. He nodded his head down, hoping she'd take it as a sign that he meant no harm.

"We weren't sure if you'd be coming back." The woman stated seriously, glancing back towards Katara's face.

"Neither was I." Katara replied cautiously, followed by a long pause. "I was hoping we could stay for a little while."

The woman flashed her eyes back at Zuko.

"Are you going to tell me who _we_ is?"

Katara was a bit hesitant to answer. For a moment she considered lying about Zuko's identity, but Kana had always been able to see right through her, and she knew deceit would get her nowhere except further from where she wanted to be. Before Katara could even open her mouth to reply, she heard Zuko's voice already ringing out her answer.

"Zuko . . . my name is Zuko." He bowed to her slightly, never breaking eye contact.

Katara tried to add something, perhaps an explanation as to why he was with her, but her mouth and mind had become disconnected as she found herself unable to emit sound.

"Yes, I remember. We met once before." Kana spoke, her words thick with reminiscence.

"We did?"

"You took me hostage."

"Oh." Zuko's eyes widened at the realization and tried to speak, but found himself collapsing into the same state of speechlessness that Katara was still trapped in. Kanna turned back to her granddaughter.

"What business do you think you have here, bringing the Fire Lord's son with you?" she slowly spat at Katara, who had been able to regain her voice at the realization that she was being yelled at.

"He's a friend Gran Gran. He won't hurt anybody." Katara replied. Zuko couldn't help but feel flattered at the tone of confidence Katara displayed as she spoke about him, but Kanna didn't appeared to have been persuaded.

"It's going to be hard convincing your brother of that."

"He's here?"

"Katara, I don't think it's a good idea for you to be here."

"Neither do I, but we don't have anywhere else to go."

"Katara, you've made it clear that I can't control what you do, but if you have any intelligence at all, you will stay out of the village, especially with him." she pointed her nose in Zuko's direction before rotating her body around and heading back towards the village.

Katara watched as her grandmother walked away from her. She couldn't say that she was entirely surprised, but it still hurt none the less, though she couldn't be angry at her own family any longer. What did she expect really? She left them when they needed her, without sending any kind of letter or notice for years. She had been dead for all they knew, and Katara was sure that gaining their trust back was not going to be an easy feat, especially since she showed up with Zuko next to her, not that it was his fault.

"Come on." She jerked her neck for Zuko to follow her in a different direction.

"Where are we going?"

"There's a small forest-like area outside of the village. We can stay there until I figure out something more sustainable."

They continued to walk through the snow, silent except for the whipping sounds of the wind currents slapping into one another.

"I'm sorry. About what happened back there, that must not have been easy for you." Zuko said after a while. "I didn't help much either."

"It's not your fault. Besides, we knew from the start that this wasn't going to be simple." She gave him a reassuring smile.

"She's a little rough around the edges." He said, referring to Kana.

"Most people around here are."

"Are you going to try to find your brother?"

She paused for a bit.

"I don't know," she sighed. "Let's not talk about it right now."

* * *

Thankfully, the wooded area wasn't too far away from the tribe and didn't take too long to get to. Upon arriving, Katara immediately bent up a dome of water from the snow and froze it into a cavern of ice for them to stay in. It was surprisingly spacious on the inside and Zuko was able to make himself quite comfortable in it, despite his initial assumptions.

As the sun began to descend, Zuko lit a small fire for them to stay warm as they ate the rest of the snacks they had left over with them. As Zuko prepared their cots for bed, Katara explained to him how the shelter worked and how the ice from the dome melts from the fire, but the continuous layers of snow that pile on from the climate outside keep it from collapsing; that way she doesn't have to keep constantly bending the water to freeze.

As they lay down to sleep, Zuko could tell that Katara was exceptionally tired from the day's events. The anxiety she must have felt, along with her Gran Gran's rejection certainly weighed heavy on her, but being Katara, she'd never knowingly let it show. She strained to keep herself awake as they studied the fire. Zuko knew her nerves were still on end, but she wouldn't be willing to talk about it in order to calm them. Instead, he slowly bended the fire back and forth in a steady rhythm, but not so much to make her realize that he was doing it. He could see the soothing pattern of the flames begin to have an effect on her as her eyes gently drifted to a close.

Katara had gotten up early the next morning to catch them some fish for breakfast, which Zuko then gutted and cooked for them to eat. He watched her pick at her food, knowing how much must have been circling within her mind.

"Are you alright Katara?" he asked, hoping he could get a decent conversation out of her.

"Yup."

"I don't believe you."

"Zuko . . ." she began to tell him to mind his own business, but a pounding against the entrance wall interrupted her.

They both silenced themselves and waited for another sign that something was trying to break in. It was probably an animal of some sort, but Katara wasn't making any assumptions.

"Stay here." She whispered to Zuko as she made her way to the door, but he grabbed her wrist.

"No. Let me check." He pulled her back behind him and advanced to the entrance in her place. He heated up his fists in preparation for the worst, and pushed his back against the wall. Katara was right behind him as they carefully peeked their heads around the entrance's corner, only to find a girl leaning against the outside wall of their home.

"B'out time. You really like to keep your guests waiting don't you?" she scoffed.

After a moment, Katara was finally able to match the face of their visitor with the sound of her voice.

"Toph?"

"Are you going to invite me in, or do I have to stand here freezing my feet off?"

Zuko and Katara moved aside as the earthbender pushed her way between them and into the shelter.

"I'm glad you're here." Katara tried her best to be gracious, as far as Toph went, she had no idea how the earthbender felt about her at the moment.

"You better be. Took me forever to find you here, with the snow making it harder to see and all."

"I'm surprised that you stayed; I thought that you hated it here."

"I didn't stay. I come back every now and then to try and help with the tribe's reconstruction, but that seems like something that you would be far better at than me."

They left a long pause between them. Katara shouldn't have expected Toph to show up without a few jabs to make her feel guilty about leaving.

"I suppose everyone is still mad at me." Katara finally spoke.

"A lot are. But I think some of them are just jealous. Sokka's jealous. We heard you were doing well."

"You did?"

"Yeah, taking out whole Fire Nation troops, we heard. I believed it, until you showed up with this guy." She pointed to the side where Zuko was sitting and awkwardly listening to their conversation. "Have you lost your mind? What are you doing with him?"

"There's more to it than you know."

"Clearly."

Katara spent the next couple of hours explaining her situation to Toph. Everything from the moment she left the Southern Water Tribe, to the second her and Zuko got on the boat to come back. Zuko added in little details where he could, in effort to explain his story so that Toph might start accepting him like Katara did. He didn't remember much about Toph since he hadn't run into her in the past as much as he had Katara. From what he did recall, she was seemingly small and helpless, but quite the opposite in reality, which appeared to still be accurate. Her black hair had grown longer, but was still held in a large bun on her head. She was taller, but still shorter than Katara, if only by a little bit. She remained barefoot, even in the snow, so Zuko took the liberty of bending the flames of the fire to grow stronger for her to warm them back up. She seemed grateful, but with her sassy attitude, Zuko couldn't completely tell if Toph liked him or not. If she did, she was much easier to win over than Katara ever was.

"Does everyone know I'm here?" Katara asked while adding some wood to the fire.

"No. I saw you come when you were talking with your Gran Gran. I was going to tell Sokka, but then I figured I should have come to see you first." She continued while she rubbed her feet by the fire. "It's not that everyone's mad at you. It's just that things got pretty bad after you left. They could have really used your help."

"Help doing what? I left because nothing _was _being done. You know; you were there. Every plan we came up with was pathetic, so I chose to make better use of my time and abilities. Something needed to be done, so I did it, while everyone else said I was giving up." Katara felt herself become angrier with every word she spoke, until she locked eyes with Zuko, who seemed to be pleading with her to calm down.

"It wasn't that we thought you were giving up! Katara, Aang had just _died._ So naturally, everyone was worried about you. You weren't even fully recovered yet!" she turned her head slightly in Zuko's direction as she felt his heart thump in guilt at the mention of Katara's injuries. "We knew how depressed you were that you couldn't save Aang. We all felt the same way. So when you left, it seemed like you were running away from the guilt. Then you tried to play it off like we didn't want you around, when in truth, we needed you to hold the group together. You were the glue, so when you insisted on leaving, everyone else broke apart too."

Katara sighed and rubbed her temples as she tried to register what Toph was telling her. She didn't care about the past anymore as long as she was able to revive her relationship with her family again.

"I'm sorry," She told Toph. "I just felt like it was what I needed to do."

"Yeah I know." She nodded. "I felt the same way when I left my parents to join you guys. To tell you the truth, I was never really pissed about your decision. I was really more just offended that you didn't invite me to come with you." She smirked.

Katara chuckled and looked down at her hands. It really had been quite a while since she'd seen Toph. And she had grown up faster than Katara would have thought. She carried herself more elegantly and didn't seem as crude as Katara remembered.

"So what's the deal with you two?" she addressed both Katara and Zuko, "You fucking each other or what?"

Zuko appeared to have begun choking on his own saliva as Katara laid her face in her palms to try and hide her rising blush.

_Nope. Still as crude as always. _Katara thought before her mind flashed back to the memory of what her and Zuko had almost done on the ship the other night.

Toph laughed heartily at their reactions before turning her attention to Zuko. She had always heard stories from the group about how evil and horrible he had been as he chased them around the world, but he didn't seem that bad to her now, and apparently Katara thought the same. He didn't say much through their conversation, but Toph could tell that he really did care about Katara. From what she remembered of her conversation with his uncle, he'd had a pretty shitty life, and apparently he was trying to make up for it now. Even though he was the Prince of the Fire Nation, as well as a respected general from what she'd heard, Toph couldn't find herself able to see him as a threat, though she knew some of the others would not be as accepting as she was.

After they had something to eat, Toph announced that she needed to return to the village to avoid suspicion.

"You should come see everyone. They might have mixed feelings, but it'll be for the best in the end."

"Gran Gran said that I have to stay away."

"Don't listen to her. She's old and cranky." Toph could sense Zuko smirking at her comment. "You need to make things right with the others and you can't do that if you don't make any contact with them." She added as she walked out the door and back into the open snow.

* * *

Later that night, the temperature dropped quickly with the sun. It was colder than any other climate Zuko had experienced before and he strained to keep himself warm as well as fuel the fire that was maintaining Katara's body heat. He couldn't understand how she had managed to live in these conditions through most of her life, but then again, she was always impressing him with how strong she was.

He was extremely thankful for Toph's little drop-in earlier. She had managed to get through to Katara more than he had, and although he was a little jealous of the fact that his words didn't have as much of an impact on her as Toph's did, he was grateful that Katara could finally start patching things up with her family. He wished he could do the same with his uncle, but the chances of finding him alone seemed near impossible.

"It's good that you're going to talk with your family." He told her, wanting her to know that he supported her.

"If I decide to go see them that is." She muttered quietly.

"What do you mean _if_?" he was stunned. "Were you not listening to what Toph told you? You need this. Like she said, it'll benefit everyone in the end."

"But what if it doesn't?" she lifted her head up to look into Zuko's eyes. "What if I only make it worse? Then Toph will get in trouble too. And I can't even image what would happen to you."

Zuko felt his temper swiftly increasing. She was being stubborn again. Classic Katara.

"Would you just stop worrying about what's going to happen and just focus on yourself for a second? So what if you make things worse? At least you would have tried! When I gave myself up to you, I knew that I could have been making things worse, but I still did it because I knew it was the right thing to do! You can't always please everyone Katara, you know that."

"Zuko, just let it be." She sighed.

"No. We're going to talk about this. Don't put it off. Tomorrow, we're going back to the village."

"That's not your decision to make." Her voice began to rise threateningly.

"I don't care; I'll drag you there if I have to. You try to act all brave, but you can't even summon up the balls to face your own family! If you don't do this, then you really will be running away."

"That's enough Zuko!" Her fists began to tremble.

"You've been living your life, wandering around and looking for a purpose, but when a situation that requires your attention comes to you, you're going to just turn away?"

"You have no idea what the past years have been like for me!" They were both boiling at this point. The ice that formed their shelter seemed to be giving in to the heat perspiring between the two.

"I guess I wouldn't know considering every time I try to have a serious talk with you, you always cut it short! How could I know when you won't even talk to me?" He yelled at last before getting up and practically throwing himself out the door. He couldn't stay trapped in there with her anymore without completely melting the place to the ground. He didn't even bother to grab his parka on the way out and just kept walking straight out into the snow without a clue of where he was going.

It didn't take Zuko too long to realize that he couldn't possibly survive in this weather all night without a coat, even with his firebending. The snow storm had picked up into a full blown blizzard and by the time he turned around to find their shelter, he had walked too far into the forest and had no idea what direction it was in. He could see his hands turning blue from the cold and tried desperately to warm them up, but his energy was quickly being doused.

As he searched for a sign for which direction he should head in, he barely had time to notice a creature approaching him from behind. When he finally felt something creeping up on him, the animal had already pounced and managed to leave a huge injury in his left shoulder. Zuko kneeled down in pain as it turned around and approached him again. From what he could make out, it appeared to be some type of wolf mixed with that of a very large wildcat. Without any feeling in his hands or feet, Zuko managed to pull out a small knife that he'd kept on the inside of his boot. The animal sprang at him again and made a massive swipe at his chest, knocking him back before clamping on to one of his legs and making another move for his throat.

Without another thought, Zuko drove his knife into the creature's side as hard and fast as he could, and then pulled it out to repeat the action as it howled and attempted to get away from him. He was able to get in a few more stabs before the beast had managed to get away completely, leaving Zuko's line of sight for good.

Zuko was frozen and now probably bleeding to death, but he couldn't exactly tell the extent of his injuries from the lack of sensation in his limbs. The idea of firebending was completely useless at this point as he felt himself become nauseous. All he could do was just lay down in the snow, fighting to stay awake. He prayed that his last words wouldn't be the things he shouted at Katara.

* * *

When Zuko didn't return within the next 15 minutes, Katara began to grow worried. Her irritation at his attitude during their fight quickly began to melt away with each minute that Zuko didn't return. Tonight was colder than most nights, and it wasn't something Zuko was used to handling. It wasn't until she realized that he hadn't even taken his coat that Katara knew she needed to go out and look for him.

She ran out of their home and followed his tracks into the forest, but couldn't stay on them for long as the rapidly falling snow filled up his footprints. She looked around at the surrounding trees, looking for some sort of mark that he might have left to lead her to him, but she found nothing. She grew even more desperate as her bones began to chill and started calling out for him. She screamed his name for what felt like hours before her throat had become hoarse with the cold. The fear that Zuko was lost forever weighed heavier than ever and she kneeled down into the snow as tears threatened to spring from her eyes.

_Where are you?_

She just needed some type of sign, anything to let her know that he was still alive.

She heard a shuffling of leaves to her right as a large cougar-wolf limped past her. She prepared to arm herself, but the animal made it clear that it was in no condition to fight and dragged itself away from her. It had been severely wounded, but the damages didn't look like those made from another animal. Hitching her breath, she followed the trail of blood that the animal had made as it passed her, praying that it would lead her back to an unharmed Zuko.

But Katara had no such luck as she came upon his figure lying face down in the snow, blood everywhere. In a matter of milliseconds, she wrapped him up in her own coat and pulled him up to lean him against her back so that she could carry him piggy-back as she brought him home. Normally, his unconscious weight would have been difficult to bear, but the intensity of the moment increased her strength and stamina tenfold as she hauled their asses back to warmth and safety.

Upon returning to their shelter, she laid him down as close to the fire as she could manage and without thought, ripped off his drenched clothing. He was still bleeding profusely as she called as much water as she could to her aid. Though she didn't have time to heal the wounds completely, she managed to close them up enough to stop the bleeding. Then she grabbed both of their coats and blankets and wrapped Zuko up as tight as she could while rubbing up and down to try and bring some life back into him.

She also placed a large pot of water over the fire to heat it up until it began to boil. Careful not to burn herself, she bended the water out of the pot and gently streaked it across Zuko's bare skin. As it cooled down a bit, she moved it around her hands to form gloves and placed them over Zuko's cheeks. She watched his face intently for any sign of movement or consciousness, but he remained peaceful and unmoving, as though he was sleeping. He was breathing, but it was extremely soft and his pulse had lowered drastically.

"Zuko please be okay." She whispered to him, fully aware that he couldn't comprehend. "Please . . . I need you. I've never had anybody like you before." Her eyes began to well up again. "I don't want you to go Zuko."

She shifted in her place and laid his head down into her lap. She tried to soak more hot water into his skin and huffed hot breaths into his palms. Though she fought tooth and nail against it, Katara could feel herself become sleepy. She'd been trying to warm Zuko for hours and it wouldn't be long until morning came. Delicately, she lowered her head down to his chest to monitor his heartbeat, which thankfully had reached a steady increase, though his lack of consciousness still frightened her. Her head lightly rose and fell along with his chest and she couldn't help but to close her eyes at the sensation. She would have stayed like that longer had she not felt a slight jerk in his breathing pattern. She quickly lifter her head up to watch Zuko as his body began to lightly stir against the furs she had wrapped around him.

She ran her hand up and down his arm to try and coax him awake. His face twitched a bit and he started shivering as his body began to regain its homeostatic instincts. She smoothed her palm repeatedly across his forehead and over his hair in attempt to calm him down for when he finally realized where he was.

Katara let out a huge sigh of relief as she saw his eyes crack open to look at her. He smiled up at her lightly, though he was clearly still dazed and unaware of what was going on. But that didn't stop Katara from talking to him.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Zuko. I promise I'll never let you fall into danger again." She whispered in his ear and he gave a light moan in reply. She smirked at him, just happy that he was alive and cupped his face in her hands. Slowly, so as not to hurt him, she tilted his head up off the ground and gently brushed her lips against his.

Zuko's eyes brightened at the realization of Katara's lips against his own and desperately tried to summon up the energy to deepen the kiss, but the effort proved to be too much for him and he ended up collapsing backwards and falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

Zuko's head pounded a little as he awoke the next morning. He groaned at the pain that he realized was being generated throughout different points of his body.

"Shhh, just try to relax." He heard Katara whisper next to him.

As his eyes focused in on her figure, he realized that she had been addressing to his wounds. Suddenly the whole memory of last night came crashing down on him and he thanked the gods that he had woken up to the sight of Katara by his side.

"I was really worried about you." She murmured. Zuko had to strain his ears to hear her.

"I'm sorry Katara. About everything." He told her as she glided her fingers across the wound in his shoulder.

"Me too, but you shouldn't talk. You need all the rest you can get."

He obeyed and laid his head back against his pillow to try and figure out his surroundings. They weren't in the shelter like he thought he remembered them being in. They were in some kind of infirmary.

"I managed to heal up most of the bone fractures, but they're not back to their full durability, so you'll have to take it easy for a while, especially in your shoulder and leg." She told him, but he wasn't paying much attention to it.

"Where are we?"

She looked at him for a second.

"The tribe's health center. Toph came back early in the morning to check on us and she helped me move you into the village for better care."

"Then you've seen your family."

"I actually haven't really talked with them yet. I wanted to make sure you were okay first." Zuko smiled at her in appreciation. "I saw Sokka though." She claimed nervously.

". . . And?"

"He looked at me like I was a ghost." She chuckled.

"Give it some time."

"I know." She smiled. "I think Toph is trying to explain things to him."

Zuko placed his hand over her's as she massaged away the claw marks on his chest. He noticed the slightly dark circles around her eyes.

"You look tired."

"I'll be alright."

He wove his hand around the back of her neck and slowly brought it down to make her lay her head against his good shoulder and smoothed his fingers over the pendant of her necklace that tied around her throat. He used his other hand to gently rub her back up and down as she closed her eyes and relaxed into his touch, pleased that he was still around to do so.

* * *

**AN: **Sorry about the really late update. Hope it was worth the wait.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

Zuko's recovery progressed slowly, but surely. Because of Katara's waterbending, his wounds had healed up quickly, but the amount of rest that he still needed was something that Katara's abilities couldn't melt away and could only be solved with time.

It was good. For everyone. This way Katara would get time to talk with her family and Zuko wouldn't be able to get in the way of anything. It surprised him how often he had been sleeping lately. He took three long naps the other day, but made sure to stir himself awake every time Katara came in to check up on his wounds. She'd sit with him frequently, which he would never dream of complaining about, but he still tried to encourage her to go and spend more time with her family; it was the main reason they were there in the first place. As he was silently resting the next morning, he thought he could hear her footsteps outside, so he began to straighten himself up to greet her. To his shock, it wasn't Katara who walked through the door.

"I hear you're recovering quite fast."

"I have your granddaughter to thank for that. She's very talented."

Kanna didn't respond and simply stared at Zuko, her eyes studying him as if he were an unimpressive art piece. Even though he didn't want to get any more on her bad side, Zuko stared the old woman down as well, never breaking eye contact. It was a technique he was used to, having practiced it so many times as a general in the war. "Have you talked with her since we last met?"

Her eyebrow lifted slightly in curiousness. She wanted to know to what extent this man's feelings for her granddaughter ran. "Yes. It seems that most of the tribe is very happy to have her back."

"And you're not?"

"Of course I am," She claimed, her voice rising a little. "I helped raise her."

"Then why did you turn us away when we first arrived? Was it solely because of me?" Zuko questioned her. He respected Kanna greatly, but refused to be afraid of her. "Or are you still harboring frustration towards Katara?"

She stepped closer to him and sat in the chair next to his bed. She eyed the little white flower on the side table that Katara had placed there earlier for him. "I love Katara as if she were my own daughter and would always accept her with open arms," she paused. "But she herself was not ready to come back. I could see it in her eyes. She was conflicted, and I knew she needed self-assurance before coming back to see the others. And although your presence was troubling, I would not have done anything to stop you had you decided to enter."

Zuko paused for a bit, soaking in her explanation. "I'm sorry for what I did . . . the last time I was here." He referred to the day when he took Kanna hostage, and also the first time he saw Katara. "Please don't blame Katara for my being here. I insisted on coming."

"You care about her very much." She observed.

"I do."

"The Prince of the Fire Nation." She reminded him and he felt his heart droop a little in guilt.

"I don't really know if I can even call myself the Prince anymore."

"Regardless, you may stay here as long as Katara does, but when she leaves, you must also go." She listed her terms.

"How do you know she's going to leave at all?"

Kanna smiled slightly. "I think you know as well as I do that Katara will go wherever her heart takes her. It won't be long before she's ranting about some faraway village that's calling for her help. She has her mother's kindness, but can also be a bit reckless at times, so I'm counting on you to keep her out of trouble."

Zuko chuckled lightly, "That's easier said than done, but I'll try my best."

Kanna nodded in approval and rose out of her seat to leave, but turned back to him before exiting completely. "Thank you for bringing her back to us."

He nodded in return. "She needed to see you. She just didn't know it yet."

With her departure, Zuko leaned back and settled himself back into his bed, and before he could even recall the conversation he had just had with Kanna, a fit of exhaustion came forward and slumber overtook him.

* * *

As she dried herself off from her bath, Katara pondered over her plans for the future. Obviously she would have to leave the Southern Water Tribe to return to the KK and continue fighting. She had new responsibilities now and she made it her priority to follow through with them. But the thing that plagued her mind even more was the mission she was assigned to by the White Lotus. The winter festivities in the Fire Nation would be wrapping up soon and eventually she would have to start making her way to the enemy country in order to complete the task she'd been given.

In truth, she had been quite excited when Piandao had assigned such a mission to her; that was until she remembered Zuko. Not only could he not accompany her to the Fire Nation, she was not even allowed to tell him what her business was there. She wondered if she could disguise him well enough to be able to take him with her, but she was sure the White Lotus would find out, not to mention he was royalty in the country and could very easily be recognized.

She sighed and rubbed her temples, not having the slightest clue on how to tell him that they had to separate. The thought of trying to explain it to him was frustrating, but the idea of actually having to leave him was nearly heartbreaking. The two of them had grown extremely close over the past couple of months, and with Zuko having just almost died a few days ago, the idea of having to push him away did not sound in the least bit favorable to Katara.

She made her way to his room, trying to practice exactly how she should tell him, only to discover that he was fast asleep by the time she arrived. She took the opportunity to check over his wounds again, which had healed up nicely and thankfully wouldn't leave any permanent damage. She was about to sit down in the chair next to him when someone else entered through the door.

She had only seen Sokka two or three times since she'd returned and even then they had barely talked.

"How are you?" He asked awkwardly.

"Good," She whispered, signally that she wanted to keep the conversation quiet for Zuko's sake.

"We've heard that you've been doing a lot. Toph tried to fill me in with the details."

She nodded in agreement.

"I'm glad to see you Katara, and I'm happy that you've returned, but by did you have to come with this guy?" He asked, pointing towards Zuko's slumbering body.

Katara smiled a little. "He kind of forced me to come here."

"Why?" He questioned skeptically.

"He said I needed it . . . that I needed to see you."

"But still. You really trust the guy who was basically your arch nemesis? Do you not remember what happened in Ba Sing Se?"

She sighed. "Sokka I know it's a little difficult to believe, but Zuko and I have been through a lot together. We've both seen a lot of things, and the war kind of ended up bringing us together, in a way."

At this point, Zuko was beginning to stir awake from the little whispers his mind could make out in the background.

"And don't think that I was just immediately accepting of him. I put him through a lot of shit for what he did to us, and he has proven to me how much he's changed."

Zuko then realized that they were talking about him and decided it was best if they didn't know that he had woken up. He closed his eyes back shut all the way and steadied his breathing to give the appearance that he was still asleep.

"Katara. . ." Sokka began, but she cut him off and kept going.

"I've never had someone try so hard to win my forgiveness. I know it may be hard to get used to, but Zuko IS a good man who I have learned to care about deeply. If you make him leave, then I will leave too."

"Katara!" He yelled in a hushed tone. "Calm down. I was just going to say that I understand what you're trying to tell me."

"You do?"

"Yes." Admittedly, Sokka was surprised to hear his sister defend Zuko so loyally. She had not spoken of someone that way since Aang. But Toph had filled him in that the two benders had become good friends and that Zuko showed great potential to be a part of their group. He was a little suspicious still, but if both Toph and his sister thought well of Zuko, then he could learn to as well.

"I'm going to go get some fresh water for him." She eyed her brother rather threateningly.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna do anything to him." Sokka reasoned.

She nodded in approval and patted her brother's shoulder affectionately as she left.

* * *

A few moments later, Sokka turned to see Zuko beginning to sit back up.

"You're awake."

"I woke up while you were talking. I didn't want to interrupt."

They sat uncomfortably for a few seconds.

"Katara seems to really trust you now." Sokka noted.

"I trust her too."

"I have to admit that I'm still a little suspicious of you though."

"I know. I get it; I actually just had a similar conversation with your grandmother. He looked Sokka in the eye. You may not believe this, but I really am trying to make things right. I have since figured out how the Fire Nation is the cause for the world's ruin, and although I am a former prince, I have never been more thankful for when your sister took me as a prisoner.

"Sometimes it is hard for me to remember that I betrayed my own family, but Katara has been more of a family to me than they ever were. I'd protect her with my life . . . even though she can sometimes be a bit headstrong and stubborn."

"A bit?" Sokka laughed.

* * *

Katara came back shortly after with the water, pleased to discover that Zuko was awake and actually _laughing_ with her brother. Deciding to not ruin the moment, she refrained from saying anything and made her way over to where Zuko sat. She bended the water around her hands to make liquid gloves and began massaging Zuko's exposed shoulder to begin getting rid of the kinks and knots that resided in his muscles.

Zuko began to relax and closed his eyes from the sensation of Katara's hands rubbing out the soreness in his body. Although he could often be naïve, Sokka was wise enough to understand that it was a private moment and turned to leave the two benders in privacy.

As she kneaded into his skin, Katara tried to think of how to begin telling Zuko that she's have to leave sooner or later without him. But he looked so calm and she just hated to have to ruin such a peaceful moment between the two of them.

Zuko, although relaxed, had to strain to keep himself from groaning in pleasure at Katara's massaging. He almost lost it completely when she had him flip over and began running her hands all over his back. He knew that his muscles were very tight from all the stress he'd endured over the years, and was a little embarrassed knowing that Katara could see it too. He had often attempted to reduce his tension, but Katara's hands were proving to be ten times more effective than his meditation sessions.

He wanted her. In every way possible. He knew that for sure know. After nearly dying in the woods and almost losing her forever, he never wanted to leave her side again. He wasn't lying when he'd told her brother that he'd give his life for her, and after hearing how she defended him while he was feigning sleep, he knew for certain that she had become the most important thing in his life now. Katara was more than capable of fending for herself, but now he knew that he was always going to be there with her, whether he was protecting her life or providing her with backup, they were a team. Perhaps even more. Good gods he wanted to kiss her.

He looked up over his shoulder to take a glance at her beautiful features and saw a rather determined look on her face, matched up with something else; maybe guilt? She had stopped touching him. He asked her what was wrong.

"Zuko, I -"

"Hey, sparky's actually awake." They heard a familiar voice chime in as Toph entered the room.

_For La's sake, can I at least get two minutes alone with the guy for once?_ Katara grumbled internally. She was getting annoyed about the constant visitors Zuko seemed to be attracting.

"Hello Toph." Zuko returned, flipping back over in his place to lie on his back.

"You better get out of bed soon so you can help the rest of us with the reconstruction. As long as you don't burn the whole tribe down, that is." Zuko gave her an annoyed look.

"I'll try to contain myself." He said sourly.

"Speaking of which," she spoke to Katara, "When are you two planning on leaving?"

Zuko looked towards Katara for her answer. He was curious about it himself.


	12. Chapter 12

"You've got to be kidding me. You're really not going to tell me?"

Katara sighed and bent over to pick up a fallen branch. The storm that Zuko had gotten caught in proved to serve a lot of damage to the forest as well. As soon as Zuko was well enough to work, the two ventured out to collect firewood for the tribe.

"Zuko please, I would give anything to not have to fight with you about this."

"Well what am I supposed to do, nod my head and not ask questions like a good little boy? I did enough of that for my father and it came back to bite me in the ass."

Katara heaved another sigh. "Do you remember when we were staying in Ba Sing Se and I had that business to attend to that I couldn't tell you about? It's a lot like that."

"Yeah, but at least I was able to stay with you in Ba Sing Se. Now you won't even bring me along! And as your prisoner, I have to say that you are being a very irresponsible master."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You and I both know that you're not my prisoner anymore, so don't even try to defend yourself with that logic," His pressing questions and defensive insults were starting to get on her nerves, but at the same time she understood his frustration and was even partially irked at herself for not being able to be fair with him. "Zuko, I really want to tell you. I really do, but I made a promise that I wouldn't. If it makes you feel any better, I'm doing this to try and keep you safe. I don't know what would happen to you if you found out."

He stared at her for a few seconds. "Somehow, that doesn't make me feel better . . . it makes me feel worse actually." He knew that Katara cared for him and she wouldn't do anything to spite him, but deep down it hurt Zuko to think that she didn't absolutely trust him. He should be the one protecting her, not the other way around, and the fact that she had probably gotten herself mixed up with some bad people didn't sit well with him. He certainly didn't like that she was being forced to keep secrets with him. "And what if I decide to follow you, whether you want me to or not?"

"I don't know if that's something you'd want to do."

"Why not?"

She wanted to whack herself with a branch in hopes of just ending the conversation. "Because . . . it's in the . . . Fire . . Nation." Her voice lowered to a near whisper at the last two words as she tried not to make eye contact with him.

Zuko stopped in his tracks, but somehow managed to keep his voice level in volume. "Then I'm definitely coming with you. No buts."

"What? Why? You'll be easily recognized! It's more dangerous for you than it is for me!"

"Katara, you're a waterbender sneaking into enemy territory. I'd die before I let you do that alone. Honestly, I'd prefer that you didn't do it at all."

"You're forgetting that I'm a professional." She was becoming quite insulted by Zuko's lack of belief in her skills.

Without hesitation or explanation, Zuko leapt towards her and tackled her to the ground, sending the collected firewood sprawled out across the forest's floor. She tried a combination of pushing him off and wiggling out from beneath him, but his grip had her plastered to the snow and she knew that resisting would only lead to more fighting between them.

"Katara, I have no doubt about how brilliant you are. Not a day goes by where you cease to prove it to me. But it hurts me to think that you want to do this without me, even if it is dangerous. Don't you want me by your side?"

Katara could almost taste the sorrow in his voice. And it didn't sit right with her either, as if she had swallowed it and could feel it dropping into her gut for digestion. It was so conflicting, having to cause such rifts between their closeness.

"Of course I do," she matched his gaze with her own. "Zuko you're my best friend, but what am I supposed to do?" Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. "My mission is _against _the Fire Nation. I know that you wouldn't betray me, but do you really think that it would be easy for you to commit treason? You don't even know what my mission is and you're already eager to help me. What if my mission was to set off a bomb in a Fire Nation village? Would you still want to be by my side?"

He shook his head in disbelief. "That's not possible Katara. I know you, and you'd never agree to such a mission, no matter what the cost. If you're doing something against the Fire Nation, it's to help end the war, not kill innocent people and spur it on even further." He craned his neck down to whisper in her ear. "There's no one here but you and me. Please, just let me in Katara. I can't stand the thought of losing you again." His steady voice began to tremble.

She couldn't take it anymore. Full tears began to descend down her skin. She had to tell him, it hurt both of them too much not to. She tried to choke out an answer, but had trouble forming the words, so Zuko released his grip on her and gently kissed the wetter parts of her face before pulling her into a hug and rubbing her back to ease her quivering.

Feeling a little childish, Katara forced herself to calm down and enveloped into Zuko's hug. She rested her chin above his shoulder and observed the pink glow of the sky bursting through the clouds.

"I have to go to the Fire Nation to destroy the weapons factories. I'm supposed to do it alone and never tell anybody or else they'll kick me out."

"Who will kick you out of where?" he whispered into her hair.

"It's this organization. They've been recruiting me for missions in hopes that I could one day be a full member." Though she wasn't sure how certain that was anymore. "They do good Zuko, actual good."

He sighed, shifting them both. "I believe you. But I still don't understand why this was so hard to tell me." He leaned back to look at her. "You do trust me, don't you?" she nodded against his neck.

"Yes I do. I was just afraid of getting you involved. I didn't know how you'd react. I don't know how they'll react if they find out I told you. I promised them secrecy."

"Katara, there's no need to worry. I swear to you I'll never say a word."

"But they'll know. If you come to the Fire Nation with me, they'll figure out that I told you."

"Again, Katara please don't worry." He pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "If we team up, there aren't many who could defeat us both."

Katara smiled and nodded, somewhat reassured by his words. She felt a little embarrassed for being so afraid to tell him before, although she knew that the same anxiety would most likely plague her again when they arrived in the Fire Nation. Only time would tell. She released herself from his embrace and stood to begin recollecting the firewood that he had caused her to drop.

Once the two had finished gathering as much kindling as they could carry, they began to make their way back to the village. Zuko walked behind Katara and purposely slowed down a bit in order to be able to admire her from afar. He could almost feel the light blush spreading around his nose as he studied the way her toned thighs complemented her backside as she walked, causing her hips to sway from side to side as well. But Zuko had to remind himself to be careful while in her homeland. Her friends and family were everywhere and he did not want to risk the chance of getting caught trying to seduce her by any one of them, knowing there'd be hell to pay (except from maybe Toph). Zuko had to admit that he was nervous at the thought of meeting Katara's father, but as it turned out, he was away at sea and wouldn't be returning anytime soon, from what Sokka had explained to him.

Thankfully for Zuko, they were staying with Toph for the time being, mostly due to the fact that her temporary home had the most room, and not to mention her insistence on getting to know Zuko better. He didn't mind really. Staying with Toph meant that they got to live in one of the first Southern Water Tribe homes constructed out of wood instead of the usual packed snow. They had given it to her since it was easier for her to see through wood than the snow, which would freeze the soles of her feet and make them less receptive. Its cabin-esc style was more comfortable, and the tribe had planned on building more like it as a part of the reconstruction. Although Toph could often be an intrusive roommate, all-in-all, Zuko was just pleased that he was staying with her as opposed to Katara's brother.

"You want to pick up the pace a bit, or is the wood too much for you?" Katara teased him from up front. Zuko sputtered quietly and blushed, hoping that she didn't realize he was checking her out. He jogged faster to walk by her side, but not before thinking up some alternative situations where her comment could have been used.

After delivering the firewood to various homes throughout the village, Katara and Zuko continued to help around. Zuko assisted Sokka with repairing some of the damages that had struck a home from the storm, while Katara went to the ocean to hunt food since her waterbending gave her an advantage. It didn't take long for the sun to descend due to the winter's shorter days, and the working had to stop after they'd lost daylight.

By the time Katara and Zuko reunited and returned to Toph's, they were almost too tired to even speak to one another, unless aching groans and short grunts counted as speech. Katara was in shape, but it had been a while since she'd performed physical labor as opposed to fight training, and she could practically feel how red her shoulder muscles must have looked.

Thankfully, the burns radiating from her muscles were soothed once she locked herself in the bathroom and soaked her limbs in the bathtub for as long as she could muster. She let her eyes drift closed and her mind wander to other things besides her aches. Her thoughts landed on Zuko, as they often did. She admired him for helping around the village. Unlike her goofy brother, Zuko's lack of complaining and bellyaching gained him quick respect from the tribe, not to mention herself as well. She was thankful that their fight before had been short-lived and that they seemed even closer now because of it. She pictured back to when he kissed her earlier that morning while she was crying. She tried to revive the feeling of his lips pressing against her wet cheek and traveling down to the front of her ear and down her jaw. For once she was actually disappointed that she wouldn't be sharing a room with him tonight like they'd become used to throughout their travels. She yearned for the feeling of his arms wrapped around her again as she slept, his breath brushing against her neck. For a second she even scolded herself for locking the door, making it impossible for him to "accidentally" walk in on her in the tub.

"Oh man . . ." she rubbed her temples angrily. "I gotta stop thinking shit like this before my mind becomes run over with porno plots."

Meanwhile, Zuko sat in the kitchen with Toph and held an ice pack up to his lower back. The sounds of the fire loudly crackling in the other room calmed his senses and made him want to go to bed early, but Toph had insisted on bantering with him for as long as she could.

"It looks like you had a fun little adventure today." She laughed.

He gave her a quick glare. "I don't know what you'd call it, but 'adventure' is not the right term. No wonder Katara was so eager to leave."

"Oh, are you and Sugar Queen not getting along?"

"Well actually we've - . . . Sugar Queen?" he gave her a questioning look. Katara was definitely not made of sugar, or anything close to it, but he dropped it and continued talking after witnessing Toph's proudful smirk. "We had sort of a moment this morning."

"I'm listening."

"Well, we had this argument and then she started crying, but we talked it out and hugged. I really think things are going to start getting better between us."

Toph smacked her hand against her forehead. She was expecting something juicy and acting like toddlers at playtime wasn't fitting the bill.

"Zuko, you're more of an idiot than I originally thought."

"Jee thanks."

"You clearly have feelings for each other, so stop being such a pussy and make a move. And I don't just mean a hug."

". . . I gave her a kiss too."

"On the mouth?"

"Um . . .well, no. But we did almost end up having sex on the boat right before we got here. You . . . you really think she has feelings for me?" He didn't try to hide his blush any longer.

"Are you kidding? Of course she does! Zuko, she didn't leave your side once while you were unconscious in the hospital. I tried to get her to walk outside and get some air, but she refused until she knew for certain that you were alright. I haven't seen her this protective since Aang was around, so suck up your nerves and do something about it." She ranted loudly. Zuko had to shush her a couple of times to keep Katara from overhearing in the bathroom.

"I don't know. We've finally gotten to a peaceful place between the two of us. I don't want to risk messing it up now."

"Uh, you two are impossible, you know that? It only proves how much you're meant to be together, but if you're not going to listen, then I'm not going to beat a dead horse." She lifted her feet up from off the table and began making her way to the door. "I'm going. I promised Sokka that we'd go out drinking tonight. I'd invite you, but you should get some sleep, I'm sure tomorrow will be another fun _adventure_."

He snorted at her comment and stood up himself to go sit on the floor in front of the fireplace in the other room.

After ascending out of the tub, Katara dried herself off and wrapped her white towel around her body. With her hair still dripping, she stepped out of the bathroom only to discover that Zuko was in the living room, staring into the fire. He seemed mesmerized by it, as if it were dancing for him. Perhaps it was; she couldn't tell if he was firebending or not.

"Where's Toph?" He jumped, not realizing she was standing behind him.

"She went out drinking with Sokka."

"Figures. Are . . . you alright? You seemed a little zoned out."

"I was just thinking. Are you going to bed?"

"I was just going to go change into some actual clothes." She joked, resulting in him taking a long sweep over her with his eyes. He tried to pry them away from the bead of water that was slowly sliding down the inside of her thigh. Damn her thighs. He couldn't count how many times he'd dreamed of crashing himself mercilessly in between them.

She began walking towards the stairs to go up to her bedroom, but he managed to speak before she was completely out of sight.

"I'd like it if you came down and sat with me. When you're done that is."

She nodded and smiled sweetly back to him, and after making her way halfway up the steps and out of his field of vision, dashed the rest of the way to her room to speed change and fix her hair. It wasn't until she was watching herself poke and prod at her knotted strands in the mirror that she realized how ridiculous she was acting. Not once in her life had she ever tried so hard to make herself look desirable for a man. That was something regular girls did. But Katara was a warrior. She was fierce and noble. She didn't need to primp herself for Zuko. If he really cared about her, he wouldn't mind how shabby her hair seemed or how tattered her clothes were, gods knew he'd seen her like that plenty of times before.

Upon Katara's return to the living room, Zuko laid down on his back beside the fire while she stretched out next to him, her elbow propping up her head.

"Do you remember when you first took me prisoner and had me tied to a pole outside?" He suddenly asked while admiring the glow of her skin.

"Yeah."

"And that first morning when you came out and fed me rice?"

"Yes."

"I was aching and cold. I could barely talk and my arms were killing me. But all I could think about was how you were feeding me rice. I was your prisoner, and you were feeding me like I was your child or your patient."

The glow from the fire highlighted her blush. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that even though you had grown so much over those four years and become much more powerful and stronger, I knew that you were the same girl I remembered. That was the moment when I knew that it was really you, that you were really still alive. And even though I was in so much pain, I was so happy."

Katara didn't know exactly what to say. "I missed you too you know."

He seemed shocked. "You did?"

"I used to think about what I would say to you if I ever ran into you again. If I would scream or cry or just walk away. But it turned out I was already fighting you before I realized you were right in front of me." She remembered the day they reunited. "Did you know it was me, that day of the battle?"

"Not until the very end, right before we knocked each other out. I should have put the pieces together though; I knew I was fighting a waterbender, and a female one for that matter."

She smirked. "You fought well. I can see why they promoted you to general."

"Because I'm the Fire Lord's son." He spoke distantly towards the fire.

"No. You're so much more than that." She let her fingers lay perpendicular atop his.

"Am I?"

Without speaking another word, Katara leaned down closer to him and placed a kiss on his neck as his head was still pointed towards the flames. He sucked in a deep breath of shock and tensed as his body froze in place. Katara was a little embarrassed that he hadn't responded more enthusiastically, but she wasn't ready to give up. This was her chance to show Zuko how much she admired him, how much she wanted him, how much she needed him. If he pushed her away, then that was that and she'd be forced to come to terms with a platonic relationship, but if he felt anything close to the connection that she was feeling at the moment, then there was no way he could reject her.

Slowly, she dragged her lips across his jaw and landed another loving kiss at the corner of his mouth. Zuko still hadn't show any signs of movement, until she could feel his hand turn upright under hers and his fingers weave into the spaces between her own. Taking it as a sign to continue, she took her free hand and placed it to the side of his face in order to turn it in her direction. She continued to run her lips up and across his scar, leaving light kisses and moans along the way.

The knowledge of her lips against his marred skin was the image that finally snapped Zuko out of his frozen state. He had been attempting to reduce the incline of his growing erection, but Katara's sweet pecks along his scar proved to be his undoing.

Without wasting any more time, Zuko crushed his mouth against hers and they fought back and forth for control. She nipped at his lower lip a few times before he pulled her thigh up to wrap around his lower back and pressed his erection into her groin. She groaned seductively in arousal and managed to pull his shirt off over his head. She draped her hands over his back and could feel his muscles rippling under them as he grinded harder into her. Taking one hand off his back, she laid it against his heart to feel the beat beneath his ribcage before sliding it down to play at the hem of his pants. Zuko's eyes brightened fiercely and he started to tug down his pants and undergarments. Mounted on his hands and knees above her, Zuko allowed his erection to spring free and Katara took some time to admire it. He simply watched her as she grabbed him in her palm and gave him a soft squeeze to test his hardness, resulting in a low gurgle from the back of his throat. She experimented a little more and lightly rubbed the tip. Her interest sparked even more as his cock jerked up a little in response and she could feel herself getting wet from the sight.

As Katara continued to tease his dick, Zuko took the time to start removing her clothing as well. He untied her light night robe and she let him push it off her shoulders and onto the floor beneath them. He prepared to start unwrapping her under-bindings, only to discover that she wasn't wearing any. He stared down, mesmerized by the soft, yet shapely curves of her torso and the way her pert breasts gently lifted with each intake of breath. He told himself that he'd be content if he could stay just studying her beauty all night, but his mind flew elsewhere as she shifted her body lower to bring her face closer to his pelvis, and suddenly he was reminded of the first time he'd masturbated to the thought of her.

Zuko jumped when he felt her tongue take a quick lick at his tip. He knew the precum was beginning to spill as she drew the tip of her nose up and down his length, placing pecks here and there. He watched her beneath him as she finally took his testicles in her mouth and he felt his erection press flat against his body. If she didn't take his member into her mouth soon, he was going to start whimpering, but luckily he didn't have to.

"Uhhhh . . . Kataraaa." He had to force himself not to start thrusting into her mouth as his penis slid between her lips and her tongue coiled around his shaft.

She began to suck, her head bobbing up and down beneath him. Katara didn't think she would enjoy oral sex as much as she was. It was her first time doing it, her first time doing anything that sexual really, but it felt right and she knew it was because she was doing it with Zuko. She liked the way his shaft slightly jerked around when she moaned in her throat, giving off little vibrating sensations. She became wetter as his grunting grew louder. She felt him snake his hand behind her head as he gave small gentle thrusts into her mouth. His legs were beginning to shake above her and she knew she had to flip them over before they gave in. Slowly, without removing her mouth, she guided Zuko to turn over and lay on his back.

Zuko's body shook violently when he felt the tip of his penis rub against the back of her throat. His hands switched back and forth between grappling through her hair and clawing at the carpet. His eyes began to tear up and he knew he was going to come soon.

Without alarming her too much, Zuko managed to lift Katara's head off of him.

"It's going to happen soon." He gasped and tried to explain.

She gifted him with a smile and a small nod, then turned her head to rest it on top of his hip. She switched back and forth between massaging his balls and riding his length with her hand as she felt him sit up. His fingers worked their way down her side and underneath the hem of her shorts. He massaged around her throbbing core in return before sliding two fingers up and rubbing her inside walls. She wriggled a bit from the sensation and found herself to now be the one on her hand and knees as they continued to pleasure each other.

His thick fingers began pumping in and out of her furiously and she gave a long hearty moan as her vision became clouded with pure lust. Zuko's eyes brightened to match the ferocity of the roaring fire as he watched Katara orgasm. He could feel her throbbing around his fingers and knew that she was seeing white. She was biting down on her lip harshly in order to keep herself from screaming his name.

The final squeeze that she gave him was what ended him as well. His nostrils flared and smoke escaped his mouth as semen squirted out onto his abdomen. His cock was pulsating violently in Katara's hand as she continued to rub it even through her own orgasm. When she finally came back to her senses, she released her hold on him and lifted herself off of his fingers to lie down beside him.

He watched her lovingly as her body still shivered from the intensity of her high, while her eyes showed that she was fighting to stay awake. It was the cutest thing he'd ever seen. She was clearly exhausted from the events throughout the day, so he scooped her up and carried her back to his room. He laid her down under the sheets of his bed and placed himself behind her after cleaning off his stomach, not bothering to put any clothes back on. He wrapped his arms around her rather possessively and ran his fingertips up and down her arm, drawing little circles on her shoulder. He heard her moan faintly in appreciation before slumber managed to take her completely.

Although he was still intoxicated with desire from the night's events, Zuko could feel himself getting drowsy as well and ended up falling asleep with his scarred cheek resting in the curvature of her neck.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

A chilly breeze from the window washed against Katara's cheek, slowly stirring her awake, while a warm one brushed up against the back of her neck. His right arm was wrapped securely around her middle, keeping her back tight against his respiring chest.

She could feel herself begin to panic, trying to remember everything they did last night. It had all happened so quickly. She could hear her heart beating in her eardrums as she recalled the memories of rolling around with Zuko and putting her mouth on him. _On all of him. _

When had she become so sexual? Sure, she had her fair share of fantasies about him, but she never imaged herself actually doing it. Some of it seemed like a dream, and she knew she should have been ashamed of herself. She had no right to advance on him the way she did without his consent, although it appeared that he didn't seem to mind. She'd never acted that way before, outside of her imagination that is, but a strong part of her found that she didn't regret it. She'd been lusting after Zuko for so long now, it was almost a relief that she'd finally just caved in to her desires, but would he feel the same after he woke up as well?

They'd shared _something _together, what exactly it was, Katara couldn't really put into words, but now that it was done, would he really want any more? Zuko could be very proud sometimes, maybe he was just hunting after the thrill of the chase instead of her herself.

Her breath hitched at the realization that Zuko was unconsciously nuzzling her between her scapulae, and the notion somewhat soothed her.

_No…of course he wouldn't toss me out. _

She pulled back the images from last night. The sight of his heaving chest and bucking hips. The way his eyes seemed to burn in passion and then glaze over with satisfaction. How perfect his bare skin felt against hers. The sensation of her lips against his flesh. The sounds he made because of her. The memories made her nerves tingle.

She just hoped that things wouldn't be weird between them now. But if Zuko held the same kind of passion for her as she did for him, then their relationship would only get stronger. She thought back to when they first reunited and how handsome he looked in his armor, although what was underneath wasn't too bad to look at either.

She smiled at the memory of their time at the hot springs together and how his body made her too frustrated to concentrate. But now she didn't have to wonder what was beneath his underwear anymore. Sheepishly, she rolled herself over to face him so that she could get a better view of his naked body, but was surprised to discover that he was already in the course of waking up.

He groaned and smiled sleepily at her, carefully attempting to press her body further up against his.

"Good morning." He whispered.

"Morning." She nodded back and placed a hand against the nape of his neck. She gave him a quiet kiss on the lips and lifted herself up before stretching her limbs and shifting out of the bed to grab her discarded robe off the floor.

"No. Don't get up." Zuko called after her and tried to grab at the hem of her pants so he could pull her back down, but she shoved him back playfully.

"I'm just putting on my robe. I was cold."

"I could have warmed you up." He smiled mischievously as he placed his hands under his head and stretched his torso outwards. Katara climbed back up on the bed and sat across from him.

"I think we should start making preparations to leave soon."

"Already?"

"Yes, it's almost time and I want to get settled in before my mission." She watched his face fall a little. "Zuko, are you sure you want to come?"

He gave her a small kick. "Don't even ask me that." He pulled her closer. "When exactly are we leaving?"

"I have to put in a request for a ship to take us there, but it should be filled within a couple of days." She watched him nod and close his eye back up to rest. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it earlier." She whispered.

"Hmm?" He shook himself to start waking back up and look at her. "Oh. I'm just glad you told me at all." He smiled lazily. "I'm still a little shocked that I managed to get it out of you."

"You're important to me." She whispered, her gaze moving down to her knees.

Zuko sat up and leaned over to place a long kiss on her temple. He couldn't believe he was waking up next to her. After wanting it for so long, he'd nearly lost hope that it was ever going to happen. They hadn't even really had sex yet, but they would, and when it happened Zuko was going to make it everything for her. He didn't feel it was the right time for her to know, but Zuko never wanted to wake up beside any woman other than her. He was sure of it now. He couldn't be sure if she felt the same, but he'd spend forever trying to figure it out. As long as he was with her, he didn't care where they went, or what they did, and he knew he'd sooner die than let anything get in the way of that.

"You know I used to have these dreams about you." He spoke.

She looked back up at him. "You did?"

"It was before I found you again."

She smirked. "Found me? You must be mistaken. I believe I found you."

"It was a mutual discovery."

"Yeah alright, mutual discovery . . ." she muttered under her breath.

"Anyway, I used to have these dreams that you were following me. Only, you were a little girl and you were always crying. And I tried to bring you to me, but every time I walked towards you, you'd run away or disappear. One time I dreamt that there was a meeting in the war room and you were sitting next to me. And I tried to hold your hand, but my arm would just pass right through you. Then my father banished me from the room because I couldn't stop you from crying and you were making too much noise." He chuckled lightly from the memory. "I think it was from all the guilt."

"You don't have to feel guilty anymore Zuko."

"I know." He ran his fingers along the inside of her arm. "But I still do sometimes."

She studied him carefully while he teased her skin. He'd become even more handsome as the years passed. His body seemed to be sculpted perfectly; his muscles large, but not bulging, and his voice had turned smooth and calmed, like the wind before a rainstorm. But that wasn't really what Katara was studying. It was the way his eyes scanned her body up and down, not it lust, but in admiration. And how he ran his hands through his hair every time he got embarrassed. The way his laugh sounded different in the morning than how it did at night. Even the way he sneezed seemed to make her want to be closer to him.

She leaned over and began kissing up and down his chest, leaving a long one above his heart before lying down and resting her head on top of it. He moaned into her hair and began shuffling through her locks to pick out individual strands to play with. Katara slowly moved her hand down to slide under the covers that were covering the lower half of his body and traced lines along the edges of his pelvis.

She could feel his body begin to warm up beneath her as she drew circles along the inside of his thigh.

He moaned huskily into her hair. "You're going to be the end of me aren't you?"

* * *

Throughout the next couple of days, they hadn't gotten much of a chance to talk with one another, certainly not alone. Knowing that they were going to leave soon, Sokka attempted to give the two as much work as he could before they were gone. Since their arrival, the tribe had managed to build a few more houses, and clean up numerous ones that were falling apart. Katara's waterbending proved to be a magnificent advantage since she could easily construct homes made of ice within a time span of a couple days.

Although he would miss some of her friends and family, Zuko was rather glad that they were leaving soon. The Water Tribe seemed to have a very friendly and comfortable lifestyle where Zuko couldn't find himself alone with Katara in without having someone drop in on them. Thankfully, no one knew of what they had done together. Toph had her suspicions, but refrained from saying anything that might have ruined how far they had come with one another.

The last couple of work days proved to be difficult. Zuko couldn't help himself from continuously thinking back to that night, which often got him yelled at for slacking on the job. He thought back to the image of Katara beneath him, pleasuring him like she did so easily, and all he wanted was just some more time alone with her.

Although it would be dangerous, Zuko was looking forward to arriving in the Fire Nation. He knew a perfect town where they could rent a small apartment like they did in Ba Sing Se. Only this time, they wouldn't be spending most of their time there playing Pai Sho. Zuko's mind raced with the possibilities of what he'd do to her the next time they were alone. Of course, he wouldn't push her into doing anything she didn't want to, but if they were ever going to make love, he was going to make it the best experience of her life. The thought of her moaning out his name from pleasure made his hair stand up straight in eagerness.

"Hey Jerk! Get moving. I don't want to have to tell you again." Sokka yelled over at him, shaking him out of his thoughts for the umpteenth time.

Zuko sighed, realizing that he had to do something he'd been trying to avoid for a while now.

"Sokka, I need to talk to you about something." He said seriously, setting down the wood he was carrying.

Sokka eyed him suspiciously, "What is it?"

Zuko hesitated for a moment. _It's now or never. _"I like your sister."

"I know."

"No. I mean I really like her. I think . . . I might be falling in love with her."

"I know."

"You… you do?"

"I know what love feels like. You think I can't recognize it when I see it?" He sat down on a log, patting the spot next to him for Zuko to sit on, in which he awkwardly obeyed.

"And you're just okay with that?" Zuko asked in disbelief.

"It doesn't exactly thrill me, but I can't blame you for feeling something you can't control." He looked down at his hands. "When did you know?"

"What?"

"When you look back, there's always a moment when you realized that something changed and you start looking at that person differently, like nothing else matters. When did you realize it?"

Zuko didn't have to think. He already knew. "In the woods during the blizzard. When I thought I was going to die and all I cared about was that I hadn't said I was sorry to her."

"Sorry?"

"We'd had a fight right before and I stormed out."

"Yeah, that'll do it." He massaged his palm with the tip of his thumb. "I remember when I realized I was in love with Suki." He chuckled. "I'd been telling myself that I'd been in love with her since the moment I met her, but I didn't really know it until about a year later."

"Where is she?" Zuko was interested to see what kind of woman was able to steal Sokka's heart so easily.

"On Kyoshi Island." He frowned. "It's hard when she's away."

"I can imagine." Zuko didn't want to think what it would be like to be so far away from Katara.

"I'm going to marry her one day." He looked Zuko in the eye. "The next time I see her, I'm going to ask her to marry me." He smiled proudly at himself. "I mean, how could you say no to this?" He motioned his hands to signal over his entire body.

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sure you'll be very happy."

"You will too."

"Hmmm?"

"Katara likes you too. Whether or not she loves you, I can't say, but she appears to care for you very deeply." He looked up to watch the clouds. "I haven't seen her this happy in a long time."

Zuko paused for a moment. "You think she's happy?"

He nodded. "I mean, she still yells at me and stuff, but she seems to be having a better time doing it than usual."

Zuko chuckled loudly. "Thank you Sokka." He stood up to get back to work. "And I'm sorry for everything I did… back then."

"It's in the past. Just make sure you treat her right and we won't have a problem."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

* * *

"You're really leaving so soon?" Toph frowned as Zuko and Katara sat on the floor and played Pai Sho.

"I have responsibilities elsewhere." Katara muttered as she pondered where to move her tile.

"Yeah so do I, but you don't see me doing anything about it."

Zuko spoke up. "It's not like we want to leave, it's just… oh would you just make a move already?" he stopped to scold Katara before turning back to Toph, "we're just needed in other places."

"I can tell you're lying. You do want to leave." She picked off some fuzz from her shirt and threw it at him.

"You do?" Katara looked up at Zuko from her concentration on the game board.

"No. . . no. I'm just eager that's all."

"Yeah yeah, eager for something that's for sure." Toph muttered under her breath.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Zuko's voiced cracked a little and Katara smiled.

"Nothing, nothing. Just go along your merry way. Who am I to put off your _special plans_?"

Zuko fell into a small coughing fit as Katara looked back down to their game in order to try and hide her spreading blush. 

"It'll be fine Toph. This isn't goodbye forever." Katara hummed.

"I know. It's just that it's so boring here and things finally got interesting when you came back, you know with your boy toy and all."

Zuko looked up to glare at Toph, knowing well that she couldn't see it anyway. He went back to focusing on their game as Toph ignored him and scooted closer to lie down next to them. "Maybe I should go with you." She announced more than suggested.

"NO." Katara and Zuko protested in unison.

"What do you mean no?"

"No means no Toph." Zuko stated flatly. He liked Toph, but there was no way he was going to let her suck away his alone time with Katara.

"Fine, fine." She grinned. "I'll just stay here and watch ice melt."

Zuko nodded and smiled. "I'm sure you'll have a lovely time."

That night, the three stayed up and talked about various things ranging from past experiences to what they predicted would happen in the future. While they were on the subject, Zuko pondered about his life back in the Fire Nation and whether or not they really missed him, or even wondered where he was. He doubted it. For the first time he was able to confidently say to himself that he didn't miss his old life, and wasn't making any plans on returning one day. He hadn't realized it at the time, but the day that he gave himself to Katara as a prisoner was ironically the same day that he set himself free. And perhaps the same was true for Katara. Maybe hers was a little less obvious, but Zuko liked to think that they had both grown tremendously from what they used to be. After so many years, he was finally able to show his emotions without being criticized or punished and she had managed to regain her sense of trust in people. They were still children making progress, but they were growing stronger every day and Zuko knew that they would eventually find peace.

He thought about what Sokka said about wanting to marry Suki. Would Katara want to get married one day? He would do it. If she really wanted it, he would marry her in a heartbeat. He just worried about how he would support her. They barely had any money as it was and he didn't like the idea of them having to move from place to place forever and not being able to settle down like a family. But he knew he was getting ahead of himself. He hadn't even told her that he loved her yet, and he was already planning out their life. Although the thought of being able to call Katara his wife excited him, he forced it to the back of his mind in order to avoid scaring her.

As the fire began to die down, Katara had managed to fall asleep against Zuko's shoulder.

"I should put her to bed." He whispered to Toph.

"Her bed or your bed?"

"Her bed." He spat at her annoyed and insulted even though he had pondered the same exact thing not two seconds earlier.

"Yeah well we should all get some sleep." She stood and clapped her hands together. "I guess I'll catch you guys tomorrow morning."

Zuko nodded and picked Katara up from off the floor. He made sure not to bounce her too hard as he carried her up the stairs and laid her in bed. He wasn't really all that tired, but he was going to need sleep since they were leaving tomorrow.

* * *

**AN: **I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read this story. It's hit over 10,000 views and it really keeps me confident to keep writing. And thanks to anyone who has ever followed, favorited, or left reviews for this story. You guys are the best:D


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

They stood waiting on the dock, preparing to board the ship that would carry them to the Fire Nation. Zuko shifted from one foot to the other. He was saddened that he and Katara had to leave, but on the same note he just wanted to get on the ship so he could escape the cold and take a long, warm nap. They had gotten up so early, even for him and the promise of a warmer climate was beginning to sound pretty enticing. He shifted again and wondered how Katara was feeling.

"You okay?" He turned his head to ask her.

"Hmn? Oh yeah. Fine."

"You sure?"

She smiled up at him in reassurance. "Yes, I'm sure. I'm going to miss them, but I'm glad to be traveling with you again." Her voice raised in confidence as she spoke. Zuko's lips rose into a small smile at the recognition of how she seemed to add the _with you _a bit too nonchalantly.

"I'm glad we came. I knew this would be good for you."

"Oh you did, did you?"

"I guess I'm just always right." He smirked playfully.

Katara shook her head. "I'm not even going to grace that comment with a response."

Zuko laughed deeply in his throat and pondered whether or not wrap his arms around her from behind in a light hug, but noticed through his peripheral vision that Kanna, Sokka, and Toph were walking in their direction.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you? I make great company." Toph mused at the two as she approached.

"Don't worry, we'll send you a card." Zuko murmured.

"Where are you headed anyway?" Sokka looked at his sister.

"North."

"To the Southern Air Temple?"

"In that … general direction, yes."

"You're going to the Fire Nation aren't you?" Kanna spoke.

Katara didn't say anything. Zuko turned to the grandmother, remembering the promise he made her when she came to visit him in the hospital. "I'll keep her safe."

"You better." Sokka pointed seriously.

Katara turned the other way and stared at the ship in frustration. She didn't like that she was being talked about like she couldn't defend herself, but she tried to remind herself that it was just a protective-male sort of thing.

"You guys have the right idea, though." Toph chirped as Sokka and Zuko shook hands. "I want to be the next one to get out of this frozen wasteland."

Katara smiled and walked over to Toph to give her a hug, then did the same to Sokka who seemed to hold her for a bit longer than required.

"Be careful." Kanna smiled lightly at her granddaughter before embracing her as well. "You are still welcome here at home." She said to Katara, but her eyes rested on Zuko as she spoke the words. He nodded in silent thanks.

Behind them, the ship's whistle hooted out in a blaring loudness, signaling that they needed to board. Toph slapped Zuko on the shoulder, but he pulled her into light hug in return that made her smile appreciatively. "Thank you for everything." He whispered into her ear before pulling away. Without Toph, who knew where things would have landed for them throughout their visit. If it wasn't for her, he probably wouldn't have gotten anywhere near as close to Katara as he had managed to in the past couple of weeks.

"No problem. Just don't mess everything up." She murmured back.

* * *

The goodbyes proved to be difficult and just as tiring and Zuko was comforted by the fact that he'd have the liberty to rest for the next couple of days. His cabin was nicely heated, so he wouldn't have to waste energy trying to keep himself warm. Upon entering his room, he'd thought about bathing first, but the bed looked too comfortable to pass up and he was still so exhausted. He flopped onto the sheets, his stomach pressing into the mattress and his face smashed into the pillows. He figured he should probably shift himself around so he could get more comfortable, but fell fast asleep before the thought could even be transferred into action.

It didn't take too long for Katara to settle herself in her own cabin. She hadn't brought many clothes or other things that needed to be unpacked. She was used to traveling lightly by now. She actually preferred it more than having too many possessions. She couldn't comprehend how Zuko grew up with so many things; it would have been overwhelming for her, but everybody grew up in different environments, she supposed.

She sat down on the edge of her bed. It was small and springy, but was provided with many sheets and blankets, probably more than she would need, and the pillows were light and fluffy like she preferred. She pulled off her boots and continued to rub her feet. She began kneading her knuckles into her soles and decided that it'd be best to get something to eat from the ship's kitchen before she did anything else. Not bothering to put her shoes back on, she exited and walked towards Zuko's room to see if he wanted to join her.

He still wasn't answering. It was her third time knocking and she still couldn't hear any movement on the other side of his door. Maybe he was in the bathroom, or maybe he had gotten hungry as well and had already beaten her to the kitchen. None the less, she was sure he wouldn't mind if she walked in anyway. She'd already seen him naked, which gave her a good excuse to walk in without permission.

At first she thought he was hurt, considering he was lying face down, but after hearing a very small snore escape the confines of the pillow he was shoved into, she realized he'd already fallen asleep, fully clothed and all. It made sense, he'd worked so tirelessly for the past couple of days around the tribe and he probably hadn't gotten much sleep in between.

She looked around his room. His clothes were thrown across the floor along with his dao swords.

"Should have figured." She mumbled to herself as she began tidying up his things for him as he continued to sleep. She packed his clothes away in some of the drawers in his dresser and laid his swords across on top.

Turning towards him, she moved to start pulling off his shoes for him. She gently lifted his shin up and attempted to wiggle the boot off of his left foot, but he jerked away in the process and continued to snore.

"Big baby…."

She huffed and finally managed to slide the boot off and set down on the floor next to her before shifting her position to start working on his right foot, not noticing that he was beginning to stir awake.

"Trying to get me naked already?" He grumbled and smirked while trying to adjust his eyes to the light.

Katara jumped a little at the sound of his voice. "What? N…no." She started to blush furiously and walked away from the bed, but not before finally getting off the other boot and taking it with her.

"I mean gods Katara, we've barely even left the Southern Water Tribe yet." He continued to tease and flipped over to lie on his back.

"Would you stop? I'm trying to help you here." She sounded annoyed as she threw his boots in the corner.

He chuckled lightly and reached over to grab her hand and pull her over to lie next to him. Katara sighed and watched him as he folded his arm behind his head and closed his eyes again, still smiling contently. She knew he needed rest, and now was certainly a good time to get it. She made him sit up a little so she could pull the sheets out from under him and then cover him up to his shoulder. He moaned, annoyed at having to move, but calmed back down when she began to run her fingers over the side of his scalp affectionately. After she was sure that he had fallen back asleep, she kissed him once on the forehead before getting up and leaving him to go get something to eat.

A couple of hours later, Zuko stretched himself awake and looked around the room for Katara. He didn't like that she'd left, but he couldn't exactly ask her to just sit by him for hours while he slept. It didn't matter much though, they'd have plenty of time to be alone together when they reached the Fire Nation. Although he was technically a traitor, Zuko couldn't wait to return to his homeland. He wanted to show Katara that not everything about the Fire Nation was terrible and destructive. He managed to roll himself out of bed and out the door to start looking around for her.

When he found her, she was hanging over the side of the ship's railing, watching as the fresh snowfall hit the waves below them. She was still barefoot and had neglected to put on a coat.

"Aren't you cold?"

"Only a little." She rotated her neck to face him as he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling her into the hug that he'd meant to earlier.

"Are you nervous about arriving in the Fire Nation?" He asked.

"Not really, but the captain said he can't take us all the way without getting spotted so we'll have to take a small boat and sneak in ourselves at some point."

"Yeah I figured. It shouldn't be too hard though, we'll find a safe way in."

"You better be careful Zuko," her voiced dropped suddenly in seriousness. "Remember we don't know, it could be more dangerous for you than it is for me."

"I know, but I can be just as elusive as you are. We'll stay well hidden, I promise."

She nodded and leaned her back further against him. The snow continued to fall around them in light, sideways flurries and peppered their hair in white flakes. Katara started to wonder about how different her life would be if Zuko hadn't come back into the picture. She remembered back to when they used to be enemies and how young they both seemed back then. It was amazing how four years could fly by.

She turned her gaze to look up at him and observe the change in his features. He had always been handsome, but now the appearance of maturity that accompanied it seemed to somehow increase his attractiveness. She'd never thought that the hotheaded teenager she used to fight constantly could turn into someone so humble, yet confident.

After a few seconds, Zuko noticed that she was staring at him.

"What? Something on my face?" He moved his hand up to rub an invisible spot from off of his cheek.

"No," she laughed. "I was just admiring."

His blush heated his face against the cold. "Oh."

"You're handsome."

He was a little stuck on what to say and remained silent for a few moments. "You think?" He asked finally.

"I do." Katara shuffled herself around in his arms to face him and pressed her cheek against his scarred one. She could tell how cold he was getting. "Come." She clamped her hand around his wrist and pulled him out of the snow and back into his room.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Katara felt herself being hauled back into Zuko's arms as he placed his hands against her back and dragged her close enough to be able to rest his head in between her neck and her shoulder. She ran her fingers up through his hair, disheveling it as she played.

"Stay here tonight. With me." He moaned into her neck, her natural scent becoming too much for him.

"I don't know Zuko," she whispered. "I don't think it's a good idea." She could feel his expression sadden against her neck. "We can handle sleeping in separate rooms. We've done it before." She tried to cheer him up.

He sighed heavily before nodding along in agreement, or something more like acceptance. "As long as you promise me that we get to share a bed in the Fire Nation." He looked up at her with a mischievous smirk. "Promise."

She chuckled quietly, "That's all we can afford anyway."

Later, as the hours passed and the sky began to turn dark except for the stars, Zuko left for a moment and came back with some snacks from the kitchen. The two lounged on the bed and talked until they got sleepy again.

"What did you think of me when you first saw me?" Katara asked, licking some sauce from off of her thumb.

Zuko drummed his fingertips against him chest. "To be honest, I wasn't really focused on you at all at first. My attention was more on Aang at the time."

"Oh… never mind then." She blushed and attempted to shrug off her embarrassment nonchalantly.

"But when I did finally notice you," he kept talking, "I thought you were one of the most intriguing women I'd ever seen." He smiled at the memory, "I knew right then and there that you were going to be trouble."

"So then why didn't you do anything about it?"

"Because I didn't want to hurt you. Out of all the times we fought, I _never _wanted to hurt you, but I always managed to anyway … I… I am sorry Katara."

She held up a hand to stop him. "No more apologies Zuko. I've had enough of them, and those days are over."

He nodded and laughed. "I don't even want to know what you thought when you first saw me."

She smiled. "I was afraid…but I'm not anymore."

"Ha, that's for sure."

She kicked his side playfully. "Now ask me a question."

He didn't have to think too long. "What we did at Toph's that one night… have you ever done that before?" He starred at her hands as he spoke and could feel his body begin to heat up at the thought of fumbling around with her naked under the covers.

"No." She twiddled her fingers.

"Not even anything close to it?"

"No." She looked him in the eye. "I never wanted to with anyone else."

His eyes brightened and he pushed her hair back to sooth her. "You were amazing."

"So were you."

"I can do better. Much better." He tried to lure her, but her mind seemed to wander in the wrong direction.

"If you don't mind me asking…" she sat up straight, "about how many women have you been with?"

He didn't like the question, but he refused to lie to her. "About five or six I think," He said solemnly "I was drunk for a couple of them."

"Did you love any of them?" She asked a little scared, but unwilling to show it.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn't like thinking about his past relationships. "I thought I loved Mai, but now I'm certain that I didn't. I don't even remember the names of the other ones."

"Wow."

"It was a difficult time. I wasn't happy."

"How do you know about Mai?"

"What?"

"How do you know that you didn't really love her?"

He pondered and rested his palm on the back of her thigh. "Because now I have something to compare it to," He moved his thumb up and down across her skin, "and it was nothing like this."

She laid flat on her back and closed her eyes to listen as he continued to speak.

"No one has treated me the way you have Katara. No one has ever made me want to hug them and hold them for yelling at me. I've never met someone who could make me laugh and smile, but scare the shit out of me just the same," he scooted closer to her and dropped his voice into a whisper, "I don't want you to worry about anything that happened before."

"Hmm." She moaned in affirmance. He could tell she'd be asleep any second now. He brought the blanket up over her body like she did for him before and whispered a goodnight against her shoulder.

"I will always be here for you."


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

He awoke around 2 in the morning to discover that she was already gone. The ship's darkness making him blind, he moved his palm around to feel for a body lying next to his, but he found none. He attempted to deplete his grogginess by lighting a flame in his hand, but the immediate burst of light only blinded him more. As he rubbed and blinked his eyes into adjustment, Zuko became disappointed to learn that she really had abandoned him. Her tendencies to fade away from him whenever he attempted to truly advance the status of their romance was starting to worry him; perhaps she had not begun thinking about marriage and other future endeavors together like he had.

Zuko shook the thoughts from his head quickly to gather himself. He could mull and whine over his romantic life later, but for now he had to prepare himself; they'd be arriving at the Fire Nation's border in just a few hours.

He reviewed himself in the mirror, his all-black outfit reminding him of his "blue spirit days". He picked his dao swords up off the top of the bureau and sheathed them in an X across his back like he remembered. But this wasn't a traditional blue spirit mission. He wasn't stealing anything or _anyone_, he was protecting one. _Just get her safely across the border. That's all I need to focus on for now. _His conscious repeated through his mind.

Katara felt the waves whack forcefully against the side of the ship as it began to slow down and come to a floating halt. With the captain standing beside her, she watched as the crewmen prepared the small boat that Zuko and she would be taking to get onto Fire Nation territory. She hoped that he was getting prepared as well. She was excited about her mission and didn't want to waste time dawdling around.

She checked herself over again, tightening the bun she had tied her hair into and brushing off any noticeable fragments from her black clothing. She also had a small bag of food and extra clothing, as well as a small knife that she had encased to the inside of her boot. She doubted that she'd ever need it in a fight, but it didn't hurt to bring it along all the same. She double-checked her supplies one more time before she heard Zuko's footsteps approaching from her left.

"I was worried that you weren't going to wake up in time." She claimed as she finalized shuffling through the supplies.

"Then you should have woken me up before you left." He scratched his shoulder and emitted a tiny yawn.

"I left a while ago. I wanted to give you more time to sleep."

She could hear the annoyance in his grunt of acceptance, but dismissed anymore thoughts about it as the captain began to speak behind her.

"You're going to have to sail about 5 miles in that direction before the border will make itself clear to you." He pointed out among the darkened, vast sea of waves. "Take note of the stars to keep yourselves on track."

Katara stared up at the above atmosphere and pinpointed the location of the stars just like she had the factories from Piandao's map. But it would be more difficult than it needed to be; the sky was clouded and gloomy, as if a storm was soon approaching, which would make her vision of the stars even more skewed, but she didn't worry; the bad weather might even help to conceal them as they travelled.

She waved a thanks goodbye to the captain as they were lowered into the sea and began to drift away from the ship. When she looked over to Zuko to see if he was alright, his focus seemed to remain on the sky above them. Tossing any thoughts aside, she stretched her arms and balanced herself so she could stand up in the tiny boat without toppling over. Swaying her arms in a fluid pattern, she began to bend the sea water around them to propel them in the right direction.

Zuko didn't let his gaze wander from the shifty clouds above them. Their looming made him feel uneasy and he knew that they weren't just passing by. He stole a glance over at Katara, who seemed to be entirely focused on waterbending them through the ocean as fast as she could. Perhaps it was a good idea, the faster they sailed, the better chance they had of avoiding a storm._ Just get her safely across the border_, was all Zuko could think. 

Sure enough, about three minutes later, a rumbling made itself known above them. Zuko could feel his empty stomach churn in anxiety, and from the corner of his eye he saw Katara attempt to quicken the pace of her bending even more. Although her body didn't portray it, he knew she must have been getting tired. She'd been continuously waterbending for a while now, and the boat wasn't exactly light as a feather, not to mention the waves were getting more violent, which made steering a lot more difficult. Zuko began to feel guilty, he knew the storm was coming before they even left the ship and he hadn't said anything due to his annoyance at Katara for leaving his room that night. And now she was in danger- the exact thing he had repeated to himself to prevent. But it was too late to turn back, and she knew that as well as he did.

Katara bended the waves as fast and strong as she could muster. She was quickly losing vision of the stars and the weather continued to work more and more against her, and she was getting weak. Her arms began to burn uncontrollably and her legs were going to lose balance beneath her. Little droplets of rain began to pummel her scalp, but it didn't take too long for their speed to pick up and their numbers to increase, and as soon as she was finally able to spy the formation of land in the distance, the storm finally let loose into full throttle. The little drops of rain turned into a full-fledged downpour, and the wind picked up into heavy gusts that tempered the waves even more. In a jerk of the boat, Katara could foresee that she was going to lose balance and fall, but was held upright instead as she felt Zuko's hands firmly on her hips, holding her in place.

They stayed like that for a while. His grip tightened as she attempted to continue bending them through the thunder and closer to land, but a large gust of rain-spiked wind managed to capsize the boat, dunking the two underwater and out of each other's grasp. Katara, quickly adapting to the situation, propelled herself back up to the ocean's surface to search for Zuko, but the waves didn't make it easy. She figured that it would probably be easier to find him underwater and ducked down back under the current to frantically hunt for him. The sea was dark and the water looked almost black, but she could detect any disturbances nearby easier than she could from above.

Forcing herself to focus, she was able to pick up some awkward movement below her to the west, and she thrust herself in the direction that she felt it. Her sight adjusting more and more to the underwater atmosphere, she could finally make out Zuko's body, which was swimming to meet her in return.

She could tell he was losing air fast, so as soon as she got to him, she hooked her elbows under his arms and pulled him as hard as she could to the surface. He coughed a bit upon reaching oxygen and wrapped his arm tightly around her waist to make sure she didn't drift away.

"You alright?" she panted out.

He nodded only slightly to keep his head from dipping back down underwater.

Searching around, it didn't take Katara long to figure out that the boat had probably sunk and was long gone, but she did manage to spot the destination they had originally headed for and used the rest of her strength to swim them in the Fire Nation's direction. She wrapped Zuko's arm around her and he tried to help her swim as best he could, though he knew it was never his strong suit.

The shore couldn't have been more than a half a mile away, but as they continued to swim, it didn't seem as though they were getting any closer, and Zuko knew that Katara, who was completely exhausted from the excessive bending, couldn't go on for much longer. Enough water had made its way into her lungs that she couldn't keep herself from gasping.

Removing his arm from around her neck, he forced her to wrap herself around him instead and he struggled to carry them the rest of the way. Thankfully, as the shore came closer, the waves and current were easier to follow, and helped send them the rest of the way until they collapsed on the beach.

He carried her up a ways off the shore, so as to not be spotted, then set her down against a rock and allowed time for them to recoup. Between pants, he took moments to look her over and make sure that she was breathing okay and wasn't greatly injured. Fortunately, neither of them were.

"We have to keep moving." She finally managed to breathe out, but Zuko shook his head no, his wet hair flopping back and forth.

"We need to rest first, or we'll faint five minutes in and it won't matter anymore."

He shifted himself next to her to lean against the rock by her side. Neither of them spoke, just caught their breaths as best they could. The rain continued to plummet hard and the waves crashed mercilessly against the shore bank. Katara turned her head and pecked him just below the ear before forcing herself to get up off the ground.

"We need to get into town by sunrise." She tried to talk him up with her. "I'm ready."

He ran a hand through his hair like usual and nodded in agreement, using the rock to boost himself up. They started for the forest behind them, walking at first, but they managed to pick up speed the further they went until they had launched into a complete sprint.

It took about three miles for them to discover any sign of a community, which turned out to be a small village, just one town over from their destination, and stumbling upon a small ranch, they managed to swipe an emu-horse and some feed to carry them for the remaining distance of their journey.

* * *

Katara rested her forehead against the back of Zuko's neck as he steered the emu-horse away from the ranch and on into the rest of the village. After all the rain and water they had endured, he somehow still managed to smell like burning timber and pine needles. She tightened her hold around his waist and listened to the sound of the bird's feet patting against the ground as it ran.

"Thank you for helping me." She whispered.

He was silent for a while. "Which time?" he finally spoke, though not too pleasantly.

"…like an hour ago. When we were swimming for our lives…" He didn't respond. "What's going on with you? You've barely said anything, and the things you have said are dripping with disdain." She tried to glare at him, but he wouldn't turn his head to make eye contact.

Once again he didn't respond and kept his gaze glued to the road in front of him. In truth, he didn't have much of a reason to be so cold to her. She had worked very hard to get them this far, and if she wasn't a waterbender, he probably would have drowned earlier that night. He was just annoyed with her lack of compassion and refusal to acknowledge what their relationship was turning into. If they were going to actually ever be together one day, he needed to know that she wanted it too. And he had given her plenty of chances; through all the discussions they had, he had certainly presented her with the option of opening up to him plenty of times, but she never did. They would just talk about the past, never the future and he was becoming fed up with it, especially after she walked out on him while he slept last night.

"I'm sorry if I said something wrong." She added.

"No. It's what you didn't say."

"What do you mean?"

"Come on Katara, how could you just wake up this morning and treat me like I barely matter to you?"

"What are you talking about? I treat you like an equal."

"I thought I was more than that." He spat. "You are to me."

She loosened her hold around his waist and leaned back away from him a little. "Well what do you want? Me to run at you every morning with the newspaper and a plate of bacon?" she struggled to keep her voice low. "Don't expect me to kiss your feet every time you help me out. I'm a professional and that's how I work, so if you want out, now's the time to do it." Had she been a firebender, she was positive that steam would be coming out of her nostrils by now. "And I didn't exactly hear a thank-you from you either after I saved your life not two hours ago."

He bent his head down in frustration. She wasn't getting it. "I'm not saying I'm not grateful."

"Then what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I want you to like me!"

She paused. "I do like you."

"Well I wouldn't know it."

"What are you talking about? You're my best friend. I practically tell you everything!"

"You don't tell me what you think of me. If you want to be with me. If you love me."

Her voice dipped down in volume as she blushed behind him. "Neither do you."

"Yes I do."

She stared at the back of his head incredulously. "Zuko. You've never told me you love me. I would have remembered."

He paused for a moment. He _hadn't _told her. He just thought about it so much that he assumed she knew like everyone else did. He felt her tremble slightly behind him.

"Do you?" she asked.

He finally spun his head around to look at her and gave her a slow nod. "I guess I just thought you knew."

"I didn't."

"Oh…I'm sorry I yelled at you."

She picked at some of the loose weaving of his shirt. "If…if it does seem that I'm being distant, I don't mean to be. It's just what I'm used to."

"It was for me too." He thought back to when he still considered himself royalty. "But you changed that in me."

* * *

When they finally entered into the next town, the sun had begun to rise among the horizon, but it was still early enough that the townspeople were probably still asleep considering no one had emerged onto the street yet. The buildings looked like they were all constructed from some kind of dried clay material and had been painted in a variety of warm, bright colors, not one house being the same color as one next to it. They all lined up next to each other perfectly, with the other side of the street mimicking the same pattern. Each home came with a small balcony on the second floor that jutted out over the main street, creating shade for anyone who would walk under it. It was crowded, but comfortable and lovely all the same.

Ducking into one of the alleyways, Zuko led them underneath a couple of clotheslines hanging between two apartment windows and dismounted the emu-horse before attempting to jump up and grab something for them to change into.

Katara switched into the light green robe that Zuko had snagged for her as quickly as she could while he took the emu-horse and sent it away out of town. He doubted the apartment they'd be staying in would be big enough to house all three of them.

He undressed out of his black clothes as well as soon as he returned to her in the alley and managed to slip on some loose red clothing that was similar to what he usually wore. Katara tried not to pay too much attention as he shifted out of his pants and kept her focus on keeping an eye out for anyone who might have decided to walk out into the street that morning.

"You can relax." He stated, trying to fix his shirt from being folded inside-out. "It's still early; no one's going to see us."

She turned around to watch him unroll his new shirt over his abs and try to pick off some of the grass that had gotten stuck to it. "You said you knew of a place where we could stay right?"

"Yeah, it's not too far from here. We can rent it for the week."

"Good. I'm exhausted."

"You?"

She gave him a sarcastic smirk before picking up the remainder of the clothes that he'd tossed to the ground and rolled them into a ball. Quietly, they strode a few blocks down the road until they stopped in front of a small, bright-yellow home that rested squeezed right between two larger buildings. Katara never cared too much for homes with a large amount of extravagant space anyway; she immediately liked it.

It was clearly old and small, but stable just as well. It consisted of two floors, the second floor being the bedroom and a small bathroom, while the first floor held the kitchen and a little table for them to eat at. Walking up the spiral staircase to the bedroom, Katara knew it wouldn't take too long for them to get settled in since they'd basically lost most of their luggage in the storm. Kicking off her shoes, she laid belly down onto the bed's mattress and softly groaned into one of the pillows. Even with the sun now completely up and shining in bright through the balcony window, Katara could already feel herself drifting off to sleep. Normally, she wouldn't feel so comfortable letting someone else see her so weak and exhausted, but her lack of energy seemed to completely unfaze Zuko, and by this point, Katara knew she couldn't worry about things like that around him anymore. According to him she needed to start opening up to him more, and somehow she knew he was right if she wanted to keep him around.

Even with her eyes closed, she could tell that he'd sat down at the end of the bed and twisted his back around in an attempt to crack some of his vertebrae. He sighed as he rubbed his feet and tossed their dirty clothes in the corner to eventually be washed. And after a little while he found himself laying down right behind her, smoothing the back of his finger up and down the small of her back like he knew she liked, even though she'd never admit it. Close to passing out, Katara could just make out the feeling of his fingers moving from her back to her head as he began to play with little loose strands of her hair. The sensation made her follicles stand on end, but in a good way- in the kind of way that makes you feel completely alert, but also like you're going to black out at the same time. She shivered in delight from the feeling and knew that he noticed it too. She could just imagine the smirk creeping onto his handsome face behind her, but she didn't mind. After their argument Katara was beginning to seriously consider that Zuko really did love her. He hadn't come right out and said it, but she could tell that it still a little hard for him to admit some things. Still, it was true that he was opening up more to her than she was to him and she felt guilty about it. Her high horse had been diminishing more and more every day that she was around him, but it was time for it to disappear completely. She just needed to complete this one mission and then she'd put all her cards down on the table.

Later on, Katara woke up to discover that Zuko had already gone into town and bought food to prepare for supper.

"Waking up?" he asked her as she descended the stairs into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes against the afternoon light.

"Did you sleep at all?" she walked over beside him to see what he'd brought back.

"I got a few hours in right around the same time that you dozed off."

She picked up a Fire Nation vegetable that she wasn't familiar with. "You shouldn't have gone outside. We can't risk the chance of you getting recognized." She could sense him rolling his eyes.

"It's not a big deal. We're pretty far away from the Fire Nation capital and it's not likely that any of these people know what I look like."

"Only if you're sure." She grumbled.

He stopped pulling apart an onion to look at her. "I'd never do anything that would put you in danger. You know that."

"You would if I dragged you into it."

He gave a small harrumph. "Unfortunately that IS how we get into these dangerous situations."

She smiled at him and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "Don't tell me you're not having fun."

As they ate dinner it was amusing for Zuko to think about how his ideals of life had changed so drastically in such a short time. He used to be a prince and a war general, dedicated to his Nation, but guilty all the same. And now he was on the run, like his good ol' banished days, only this time he was actually enjoying it. Running from place to place with Katara was fun, but still he yearned for a day when he could just settle down someplace quiet, and it was definitely idyllic that Katara share it with him, but he still didn't know if that was what she wanted. It wasn't even right for him to be thinking about it really. She hadn't even reciprocated the love he felt for her, at least not verbally. He knew she felt something for him, but what exactly it was he couldn't know until she told him, and he'd wait for it for as long as he had to.

Afterwards, Katara settled herself into a hot bath and attempted to soak away the large amount of guilt that was starting to take over her. Even though she told Zuko that the mission they'd be going on together was tomorrow, it was actually tonight and she didn't plan on telling him about it.

She began to mentally prepare herself in the tub. In her head she recalled all of the pinpoints of the factories just as Piandao had showed her. All together there were three weapons factories spread out around the edges of the village. Thankfully, they were distanced away from the center of town and the explosions she was going to cause wouldn't go noticed quickly, nor would they be in range of hurting any innocent people. And she was going to destroy them all tonight. It would take a lot of willpower, but she usually pulled through in situations like this. Whenever the White Lotus was counting on her, she made sure not to disappoint.

She came out of the bath smelling fresh and clean and could see that Zuko had noticed her scent as well. He came up to her as she tried to brush her hair with her fingers and moved his arms around her waist, making them both sway a little from side to side. He ran the tip of his nose up and down against her neck and gave a tiny lick where her pulse thumped beneath her skin.

"We're alone." He mused.

"We often are." She laughed.

"Not enough in my opinion."

She knew what he wanted to do and to be honest, the idea didn't exactly upset her, but she had a mission that she desperately needed to focus on. She appreciated Zuko wanting to be with her, but it just wasn't something she was prepared to do right then, and if they had done something, it would just worsen the blow for when Zuko eventually discovered that she went on the mission without him. But she made herself a promise that she'd make it up to him when she returned, no matter how angry he might get. She didn't want to have to lie to him anymore after this.

The reason that he wasn't coming along actually had nothing to do with him. In reality, she completely trusted him, but she knew that Zuko didn't realize that she cared for his safety just as much as he cared for hers. The Fire Nation was Zuko's home country, and no matter what team he was playing for, helping her would be considered HIGH treason, and if he ever got caught, he'd probably suffer a worse fate than she would.

"What's wrong?" he questioned, noticing that she stopped responding to his touches.

She simply needed to get him to fall asleep so she could sneak out later that night. "Nothing really. I'm just still really tired from everything today. Would it be okay if we just crawled into bed?"

He looked a little worried at first, but seemed to bypass the instinct with acceptance. "Yeah of course we can." He kissed her on the forehead before quickly cleaning himself up in the bathroom and returning to the bedroom for the night. With Katara petting his head and humming quiet little songs, it didn't take long for Zuko to pass out.

Around one in the morning, Katara changed back into her black clothing and filled up her water supply as much as she could. She tucked her small knife back into her boot and decided not to do anything with her hair. Before leaving, she tip-toed over to Zuko's slumbering body and kissed him very lightly, hoping he'd understand.


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

Upon sneaking into the first factory, Katara didn't waste any time before destroying as much as she could. Using multiple water whips, she sliced every conveyor belt and assembly package she could find. She basically flooded the place: soaking and thus destroying all the gun powder filled boxes and whipping icicles at the main power sockets. She tried to make as little noise as possible, but there was basically no point in keeping quiet since everything she touched made some kind of loud crashing noise as she destroyed it. When she was finished with the inside, she exited and moved a safe distance away from the building before summoning the energy to find the water resting in the boilers of the factory. With a quick movement of her arm, she caused each boiler to explode, absolutely ruining the inside and shattering almost every window as proof.

She didn't stop to inspect her work, she needed to move on before someone came and found out what she'd done. The second factory was only a mile away from the first one. And again, without hesitation, she began to obliterate the place. It was tiring work, but nothing that she didn't take pride in. If she kept going at this rate, she'd be back to Zuko within the hour.

The set up was basically the same as the last factory, mostly made of metal and decorated with far too many Fire Nation emblems. It fueled her a little more every time she slashed one of the symbols in half. She reused as much water as she could and summoned it in preparation to demolish a stack of boxed products, until an orb of fire coming from her rear annihilated them first. She hadn't even detected anyone coming.

She grappled her hands into fists and spun around into a defensive mode in order to strike the intruder, only to feel her arms get locked together and her body thrown to the ground, with Zuko's hurt expression staring daggers straight through her. He wore his all-black clothing as well, with his swords attached to his back.

"I thought we were doing this tomorrow night." His voiced stayed surprisingly calm, but eerie.

Katara picked herself up off the ground in shame of getting caught.

"I lied."

"Yeah I think I figured that out."

"How did you know where to find me?"

"I haven't lost all of my tracking skills since the old days." His body was so stiff that Katara was scared his limbs might snap with any sudden movement. "Plus there aren't that many factories around here. It wasn't hard to weed down the possibility of where you might be." The anger in his eyes seemed to waver. He looked tired. "I thought we were done with these stupid games. Did you really think that I wouldn't figure out that you'd already gone without me?"

"No."

"Then why bother ditching me?"

"Because you don't understand that you can't always be there. I know you want to be, but sometimes you're going to have to let me do things on my own." She flung a water whip at a box to her left. "I'm sorry I lied, but would you have really listened if I told you I didn't want you coming?"

"…No. I wouldn't have."

"Exactly."

He sent a burst of flames up to destroy some of the ceiling's pipelines. "I just thought we were supposed to be a team."

She sighed. "We are a team."

"Not if you keep lying to me."

"The only reason I have to lie is because you don't respect my wishes when I tell you the truth. You don't listen to me."

"I would if you didn't demand such ridiculous things!"

She could start to feel her anger bubbling up like the water in the boilers she was bending. "Why don't you just go wait for me back at the apartment?"

"No."

"Then stay out of my way. I was already supposed to be at the third factory by now." She moved away from him towards another set of boxes, but again Zuko destroyed them before she could get the chance to.

"Be careful!" she scolded him. "If you light any of the gun powder you'll blow us both up along with the factory."

"I'm doing this with you like I said I would back in the Southern Water Tribe."

She turned away towards the door and motioned for him to follow so she could upset the boilers like she had done before. "I wish you would just listen to me for once." She whispered under her breath so he couldn't hear.

* * *

They ran together through the night towards the final factory, trying hard to ignore each other. At one point Katara was forced to hold her arm out in front of Zuko to stop him from walking straight out in front of a couple on the road who Katara presumed were taking a late night stroll. Once the two were far out of range of the factory, they continued on and broke into the third factory.

With the two of them, destroying the place only took half the time and effort. Katara insisted upon wetting and ruining all the gun powder before allowing Zuko to do anything, even though he ended up using his swords more than his bending. The anger residing between them appeared to fuel their energy and made the job seem like a piece of cake compared to the last two buildings.

Upon finishing off the last factory, they took a moment to catch their breaths, but it wasn't long before they heard footsteps running in their direction and men's voices shouting somewhere not too far off. As soon as the noise pricked their ears, they pounded in the opposite direction, moving as fast and as silent as they could to get further and further away from the scene they'd created. It began to rain.

They kept low to the ground, their feet starting to make squishing sounds against the wet ground. Zuko looked over at the woman running beside him and discovered she was crying, though she disguised it well with the rain. He wondered how long it had been going on for; she hadn't made the slightest peep.

Once they were far away from the factory and secure that they weren't being followed, Zuko reached for Katara's wrist, attempting to stop her so they could talk.

"I'm sorry." He murmured.

"For what?" she fluctuated the annoyance in her voice.

"For yelling at you."

"I'm not a pansy Zuko. That's not why I'm upset."

He sighed and ran a palm through his wet hair. "It's hard for me to let the person I love go and do dangerous things without me. And it hurts twice as much when you lie to me about it."

"I had hoped you would've understood, but it doesn't surprise me that you don't."

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't think you actually love me."

He gritted his teeth and tried to keep himself from getting any angrier. "Come again?"

"You don't respect me. How can you love me if you don't respect me?"

"I DO respect you!"

"Not enough to let me do things on my own. Even when I ask you." She began to tear up again. "You make me feel like such a child. This mission tonight? I've done things twice as dangerous as this and you tell me that I can't handle it alone? I'm not as proud as you think I am: when I tell you that I'm strong, I'm telling you the truth and it's like you think I'm over-exaggerating or something!"

"I just want you to be safe. That's all."

"You smother me."

He was taken back a bit. He was overprotective at times, but he never once considered that he was also oppressing her. "Just tell me what you want Katara."

"I want to feel like you can stand by me, not in front of me."

He rubbed his forehead. "Alright."

"I want to be open with you, but you have to acknowledge and accept that I need to do some things on my own. And it's not that I'm trying to exclude you, it's just that I'm more independent than you want me to be."

"Alright." He said again. "But you're wrong about one thing." She waited for him to continue. "I don't want you to be less independent. I would never change anything about you." He smiled up at her. "Don't get me wrong, you're a real pain in the ass, but I'd never change that about you given the chance. I DO respect you Katara. I'm sorry if I haven't made that clear to you."

She placed her hands on her hips and shifted her feet. "…thank you."

"I'm gonna try harder." He took a step closer to her.

"I know… I am too."

And it was true. Through some kind of loss of communication they had lost sight of what the other needed, but still held enough care for each other that they were willing to work on their differences to be able to stay together. Zuko was surprised to learn that Katara's reasons for being distant stemmed partially from him, but at least he knew what the problem was now. He worried about her safety constantly, and he understood that it could be demeaning for her as a fighter and a leader. If he could find the strength to be able to let her go when she needed it, he could possibly also bring her close enough that she would no longer feel the need to drift away. He really did respect her, but didn't realize how little he actually let her know it.

With his mind secure, he walked completely up to her and gave a long peck on the cheek.

"Let's go home."

* * *

The rain picked up even harder and it sounded like rocks were hitting the roof of their apartment. The door to their balcony shook frantically from the wind and Zuko was thankful to have gotten back when they did. They were still pretty close to the coast, so the weather around there was probably more violent by nature. He removed all his wet clothing instantly and rubbed his scalp against his shirt in an attempt to dry his hair, though the fact that his shirt was also soaking wet didn't help much. Katara threw their clothes into the bathtub, then bended most of the water out of Zuko's hair and sent it down the sink. By the time she had come out of the bathroom, he was already crawling head-first under the covers in his underwear. She could see his figure flop down on the mattress underneath the sheets.

"You probably want to leave sometime soon right? It's not too safe staying around here in case they start investigating the explosions." Zuko's muffled voice sounded from the bed.

"Yeah, but we don't need to talk about that now." She slid into bed next to him. "You can rest until morning."

About three hours had gone by and Katara still couldn't get herself to sleep. The rain continued to pound harshly against the roof and sounded like numerous little firecrackers going off. She became jealous as Zuko slumbered easily on his stomach beside her, his head turned away from her. She moved her hand to pull off a strand of her hair that had attached itself to his back.

It was more relaxing to watch him sleep. His back and shoulders hovered up and down so easily, the muscles in his back untightened and loose. Even though she couldn't see his expression, he seemed happier somehow and she was relieved. She hoped it would be a while before they had anymore spats with each other and made a promise to herself that she wouldn't lie to him anymore; she couldn't risk losing him.

Although it was true that she felt he sometimes crowded her too much, she also didn't want him to leave. She had traveled alone for a very long time before they reunited, and she shuddered at the thought of having to go back to that. The loneliness was damaging and the once warmth of her personality had suffered from it. Thinking about it now, she was thankful for Zuko being there at all, let alone trying to make an effort for her to be happy.

She recognized how much he cared for her, but he also seemed to have thought that he knew her better than she did herself, which put her on edge sometimes. She didn't want him to make wrongful assumptions about her or what she wanted and whenever they tried to talk about it, they'd either get off track, or get the wrong ideas. But she felt confident about the talk they'd just had. If he was finally able to understand that she wanted him to hear out her wishes, maybe they'd finally be able to become the team that they were supposed to be.

She also needed to make more of an effort to show him that she cared for him all the same. He had poured his heart out to her a couple of times over the past months and she felt like he never got the response he was hoping for. And the thing was that she felt it too. She thought about him just as much as he thought about her. She'd risk her life for him any day; she had just become so distant over the years that she didn't know how to exactly transfer the thoughts into the right words or actions. But she needed to start working on it like she promised.

"Zuko are you awake?" she whispered over to him. He didn't make any kind of sound or movement other than breathing, but she continued anyway. "Zuko…I don't really know what I want," she breathed out lightly "I don't really know where I want to go. I've just been wandering for so long that when you came back, I didn't stop to think that all of it might change." Zuko shifted a little in his sleep, but didn't show any signs of waking up. "And you've been following me wherever I go…and I just…I'm really thankful for that." She rubbed her hand slowly up and down the bare skin of his back. "And I think I'm finally ready to follow you now. After all this crap is over, I just want to go wherever you want to go." Her heartbeat thickened and pulsed in her ears as her voice got a little shaky. "Because I do love you." She ran her hand one last time across the back of his neck. "I really do."

And with that she flipped over on her back and tried to work herself asleep again.

* * *

Zuko had been drifting in and out through the night. The racket that the storm was making was hard to sleep through restlessly. At one point he did think he heard Katara speaking, but he was so tired and her voice was so low that it didn't fully register with him. He would have passed it off as a dream if he hadn't felt her hand across his back a couple of times. He remembered something along the lines of _wanting _and _following_, and then something else about _crap_ and _love_.

At about five in the morning, he propped himself up and turned to Katara. She was already awake.

"Did I wake you?" she whispered, looking concerned.

"No, I don't think so." He shook his head. "But did you say something to me at one point?"

"Um yeah, like a little under an hour ago, but you were asleep."

"What did you say?"

"Um…nothing much. I was sort of just rambling…" he noticed the blush creeping around her neck. He was almost too nervous to ask.

"Did you say that you loved me?" Now they were both flushed with pink faces.

"… I might have."

"Did you mean it?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Of course I meant it. You think I'd just make up something like that?"

"I love you too." He tried hard to keep himself from grinning like an idiot.

"I know." She gave him a light smile and brushed some hair out of his face.

There was no way Zuko was going to be able to fall back asleep now. He could feel the goosebumps crawling up his legs and scalp as Katara repeated what she said to him while he'd slept earlier. Maybe she wasn't sure of exactly what she wanted, but he knew she at least trusted him if she really was willing to follow him anywhere. He took her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist. Most likely they would have more problems in the future, but for now it just felt good to be at such peace with each other.

Katara relished the sensation of Zuko's lips against her body. He was always so warm; it made it hard for her to resist collapsing herself into him. Slowly, she lifted herself up to lean over him and traced the lines of his abdomen. A strike of lightning flashed outside the window and for a moment gave light to the details of his body: the faded little nicks and scars that decorated his chest as reminders of the war, as well as one longer one underneath his jaw, and of course, the one that plastered itself across his left eye. She bended down over him and smoothed her lips against the rough flesh as his hands worked their way up the back of her thigh towards her butt.

She was going to drive him crazy and he knew it, but he also had a deep feeling that she wasn't just teasing him this time. Her movements seemed to give away that she wanted something more. As she rested one hand delicately above his groin, Zuko could already feel his erection growing fast. He didn't feel the need to hide it; in fact, it only spurred him on more.

With one arm, he pulled Katara closer and began kissing up and down her collarbone. He slid one hand around her thigh and lugged her on top of his torso so that she was straddling him. He could feel her intake of breath as she realized the sensation of his erection pressing up against her under-bindings.

Getting bolder, she slowly moved her hand to reach underneath his underwear and rub her fingertips around his head as he began to unwrap her bindings.

Zuko couldn't count how many times he'd wanted this moment. He'd thought about how it should go multiple times, but found that he drifted from these plans and just ended up appreciating Katara in the moment. Upon getting her naked, he knew he'd become fully erect from the sight, and that Katara knew it as well. He shivered for a moment when she leaned back to remove his underwear altogether.

He wrapped her up in his arms tightly, kissing her naked body wherever his lips managed to land, and she moaned against his bare chest, closing her eyes and savoring the moment.

"I need you." She mumbled into him.

"I need you too." He ran his hands through her hair.

"No, I mean I _need _you."

Zuko stiffened at her words, nervous at first from hearing something he thought would only be said in his dreams, but he loosened after observing the look in her eyes. Instead of looking hungry, they appeared soft and gentle, like she _was_ truly happy to be there with him; like she actually wanted him, not just sex.

Nodding at her request, he laid her down on the mattress beneath him while he massaged the back of her knee and sucked tenderly on the inside of her thigh. Appreciatively, she arched her back upwards, giving him a wonderful view of her upper body.

In time, he lined himself up at her entrance. Her hands wound around his neck and brought him gently forward until his tip was pressed against her center. He shivered a little in excitement and focused his gaze on her eyes in case she ever showed a hint of nervousness or regret, but she displayed none. She stared happily back up at him and he couldn't resist the urge to lean back down and kiss her. Her palms moved down his neck and chest, across his ribs, and up behind his back and shoulders.

"Do it Zuko." she whispered against his jaw, breaking the kiss.

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure."

As carefully as he could, Zuko slid himself inside of her. He could feel her try to grasp at his back for stability, but her fingers kept slipping. His abdomen was on fire; it took all his restraint to not slam into her the rest of the way, and he tried to focus more on her than the pleasurable tension coming from his lower abs, but the sensation was starting to cause him to shake rapidly.

Katara buried her face into the crevasse of his neck and moaned loudly into it. She'd never felt something like this before. It was slightly painful, but nothing to what she'd heard some women complain about from their first times. The way his body moved against hers managed to sooth any kind of pain and left her wanting him to push further.

"Am I hurting you?" he asked, placing a hand on the back of her skull for comfort, but she moved her head back and forth against him to say that she was fine.

With his other hand, he secured one of her thighs in his grasp and positioned it around his waist. She followed with the other thigh and wrapped it around him on instinct.

He was being light, making sure not to go too fast for her, and Katara appreciated it, but she wanted him to enjoy it as well, so she lifted her pelvis up to help him penetrate her fully. With Zuko's mind starting to spin a bit, he grunted loudly at the feeling of being so deep within her and found himself easily losing control over the situation.

He began pounding into her again and again, but still managed to hold back a little so as not to hurt her too much. In return she locked her legs around him tighter and grinded up into him, her hands moving from his back to gripping the sides of the mattress. He continued to grunt in agonizing pleasure, but as some sense found its way back to him, he slowed down and withdrew his shaft almost completely out of her core.

They took a few seconds to breathe and he sucked lightly on the corner of her stomach, while she reached down towards his testicles and proceeded to massage them. His balls spasmed slightly in her grasp and he couldn't resist closing his eyes shut and throwing his head back. A familiar gurgle sounded at the back of his throat as her fingers moved up to wrap around his shaft and slide up and down the swollen, wet skin.

"Katara…"

She placed her palms on his ass and brought his hips back down into her and he began thrusting in a smooth, steady rhythm.

"Harder…" she whined.

The bed started to shake with them. Beads of sweat ran down Zuko's back and chest.

"Harder Zuko"

He took her left thigh and flung it over his shoulder to give himself better access, which resulted in Katara moaning even louder. She could feel their sweat beginning to mingle. Zuko's limbs were getting sore and he didn't know how much longer he could hold himself in restraint. He brought his head down and rested his brow against her stomach as he continued to penetrate her while she fumbled her fingers through his hair.

He lifted himself back up and out for one long, hard thrust, but she rolled him over before he got the chance to move back in. She leaned down to leave little bites along his body as he filled his hands with her plump breasts and she rode him gently into the sheets.

Zuko could feel himself beginning to burst; he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer before he completely spilled. He thrust up into Katara harshly, but possessed the desire to finish her off on top and in control, so he flipped her back over and pinned her hands down against the mattress. He dug back into her as fast as he could and drove himself in and out quickly, plunging all the way up to the hilt.

Katara's vision began to blur in delight. She bit down hard on her lip and ripped her wrists out of his grasp to pull his head down into her neck where he nipped his teeth against her shoulder.

She locked her arms around his torso as her orgasm took hold. Her body shook violently and her thighs tightened firmly around him as her cunt throbbed and pulsed around his still hardened member. She gasped out in the moment before collapsing into an exhilarating silence, and he knew that she had come. Realizing that he could finally let himself loose, he persisted to grind her until his gut twitched in thrill and his neck hardened at the familiar recognition of ejaculation. He kept himself pushed up to the hilt between Katara's thighs while his vision went stark white and his hearing disappeared, all except for the sounds of their heavy breathing.

As he fell back down to reality, he weakly laid himself down on top of Katara and she let out a soft chuckle while running her fingertips over the muscles in his back and humming softly.

And the rain continued to pour outside the balcony door.


	17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

The sun appeared brighter than it usually did when she woke up and she had to cover her eyes under the sheets for a few seconds before getting up. Looking to her side, Katara was also a bit surprised to see that Zuko was still asleep – and naked for that matter; the things they'd done last night painted evidence all over his body. His hair was scrambled and scrappy, there was still dried sweat stuck to his body, and a goofy smile still remained on his face while he slept. She couldn't help but loll in the memory of their escapade and about how wonderful his teeth felt across her skin and how his body trembled so perfectly against hers as he climaxed. She had to slightly pinch the skin of his arm to make sure that he was actually lying next to her and it wasn't all in her head. She was convinced after he flinched and growled at her in his sleep before flipping over and continuing to lightly snore.

Getting out of bed, she slipped on the green robe that he had stolen for her and made her way down to the kitchen to prepare some tea. It wasn't until she got the water boiling that she realized it was actually 11:00 in the morning and they had slept in way longer than they were supposed to. But it didn't matter much anymore. They were safe enough with each other and a few more nights in the Fire Nation couldn't be too dangerous; she'd been running for over four years now and had basically become an expert in hiding herself anyway.

When she climbed back upstairs to have her tea, she found that Zuko had woken up and was stretching himself out in bed. Had the sheets slipped down any lower, she would've been able to see his groin, but she quickly regained control and scolded herself for staring- even if he was rightfully hers.

"You brought me tea?" he asked smiling, holding his hand out for the cup.

"No, but there's more on the stove if you feel like getting yourself some." She smirked at him and walked out onto the balcony.

The result of last night's thunderstorm had made the floor wet and slippery. She looked down to the marketplace below her and observed how the villagers bargained for food and clothes against the street venders. She went to take a sip of her tea, but set it down on the railing as she noticed an envelope had been tied to one of the balcony's posts. Careful not to let the breeze blow it away, she untied it and opened it with caution. She had received an envelope like this before.

She scanned her eyes over the letter. It was dry and must have been delivered sometime that morning. Meanwhile, Zuko had finally managed to put on some pants and walked up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist and take a sip of the tea he clearly felt she had made for him.

"What's that?" he asked, noticing that her attention was on the piece of paper more than it was on him.

_84 Jinrook Lane. 10:48pm. _

"They want to meet with me."

His grip around her tightened. "The people who gave you the mission?"

"Yeah." She spun around in his arms to face him, but he could already read the expression on her face.

"And you want to go alone don't you?"

"I have to." She noticed that his eyes started to look worn, and tried to remind him of the promises they'd made to each other. "You said you'd try to be okay with me doing things on my own."

"I know." He moved some hair out of her face. "And I believe in you, but that doesn't mean that I'm not allowed to worry about you."

She looked at him skeptically. "So no following me this time?"

"No following." He sighed. "I'll just stand here and pace back and forth until you come home." She smacked his arm playfully.

They sat and had breakfast on the balcony. The meeting wasn't until later that night so at least they could spend the day together before she had to leave. Though she tried to appear like it was no big deal, Katara was actually a little worried over what the meeting would entail. The White Lotus had never called her immediately after a mission before, and she began to fear that she was going to be in trouble for letting Zuko follow her. She wasn't even sure if they really knew that Zuko came along at all, but she was starting to fear that they might expel her from the Order if they did. But she snapped out of her anxiety as she heard Zuko accidently slurp his tea beside her. She smiled to herself. _It was worth it for last night. _

After they ate, Katara listened to the sound of the running water as Zuko shaved and brushed his teeth in the bathroom. Feeling a bit gross herself, she lifted herself off of the bed and entered the bathroom to prepare herself for a shower. As she turned on the faucet, she waited for the water to rise to a good temperature before stripping off her clothing. She didn't have to turn around to tell that Zuko was staring at her through the mirror- the sound of him brushing his teeth had halted suddenly as she started to remove her shirt.

"What-cha doing?" he tried to ask innocently with his brush still in his mouth.

"Bathing." She said, dropping her clothing on the floor. "If you ever finish brushing your teeth, you can join me." She added nonchalantly before completely disappearing behind the shower curtain.

Zuko eyes widened at the sudden image that burst through his mind, and quickly spat out the remainder of toothpaste in his mouth before almost tripping himself while trying to get his pants off. He could hear her light chuckling from the other side of the curtain.

* * *

He ran his palms smoothly down her back with the water, until they landed on her rear and he held his hands there firmly while she smothered her lips up and across his jaw and neck. His erection pressed powerfully against her, and she reached down again to stroke it with her soapy hand. As he thrust up into her palm, she moved her lips higher until they reached his scar and gently placed them to suck on the bottom of his marred earlobe. The sensations were beginning to prove too much for Zuko; he could feel the familiar ache in his groin that pleaded to be satiated. He pressed her up against the shower wall and held his forehead against hers. His hands moved from her hips up to lightly cup her full breasts and started to rub them sensually. He lowered his head down and kissed each one, letting his tongue slide smoothly over her nipples. She watched from above as his head moved lower and lower down her abdomen, licking and nipping as it went, and she finally realized what he was about to do when his lips stopped in between her thighs. Her hands grasped and fumbled through his wet hair as he massaged the inside of her labia with his tongue. She gasped soundlessly as he played with her clit and then moved his tongue to make circles around her entrance, and she finally climaxed as he jerked it inside of her. She could feel herself contracting around him and she was so fazed by the sensation that she hadn't even realized that he had removed himself from her and stood back up to be eye-level with her. By the way he watched her try and hold herself steady, Zuko was clearly proud of his efforts, and he continued to grope and kiss her while she came to.

As she came down from her high, Katara could still feel Zuko's erection pressing sharply into the curvature between her thigh and groin. She could tell by the look in his eye that he was ready, and she proceeded to guide him up into her. His wet body stilled for a second, then began to quickly penetrate her against the wall and he muffled groans into the crook of her shoulder. He began to feel an erotic rush wash over his body with the running water and his body started to tremble against her. They were both panting helplessly; the heat of the moment added onto the steam from the shower began to make it hard to breathe, but neither of them would give in until they'd reached their peaks. Zuko knew that it wouldn't be much longer for either of them and he took one last thrust before pressing her flush against the wall and digging himself up into her as hard as he could while they climaxed together. His throbbing member felt perfectly in sync with her rhythmic contractions and it took a while for them to separate and actually proceed in washing themselves.

* * *

"I think you need another haircut." Katara ran her fingers over Zuko's scalp as they lay sprawled across the bed together. "It's getting kind of shaggy."

Zuko simply groaned in response and attempted to bury his head further into her lap.

"I guess we'll deal with it later then." She laughed and smoothed her hands up and down his back, pressing tiny massage circles at the points where he still felt knotted and tense. Years of war would do that to him.

Zuko's mind was actually on a similar subject. Katara's ministrations made him begin to wonder about how he ever managed without her. He thought back to when he was still a general and how he used to sleep alone every night, nothing to do but cut his nails and practice with his swords from time to time. Occasionally he had to file reports about the troops, but there was so little going on that it never took up much time. And yet he still remembered being so tired as a general. No wonder it was so easy for him to leave and "join" Katara's troop instead. It has been such a dulling experience, but living and traveling with Katara was giving him the solace he'd felt he'd been searching for for so long. It was even getting to the point where he no longer considered the Fire Nation palace his home. He was born and raised there, but it didn't provide the sense of comfort and familiarity that he got when he laid down to go to bed with Katara. He reserved the right to call home wherever she was.

"I love you." He muffled quietly into her lap, knowing that she heard it.

She gave a little playful tug on his ear. "I know. I love you too." She swiped some of his bangs away from his face and kissed him on the temple.

They must have laid there for hours because when Zuko finally lifted his head, the sun was already down and he knew Katara would have to start getting ready for her meeting eventually. Just the thought of her running out into the night without him made his stomach twitch in an unsettling manner. But he promised Katara that he would try and let her do things on her own, and he meant to keep it. He just knew it wouldn't be easy- after years of believing he had caused her death, he would do anything to make sure it didn't happen again.

Once she had started preparing to leave, Katara could see Zuko's body tense on the bed and she already knew what he was thinking.

"Are you going to be alright while I'm gone?" she watched him give a big huff into the pillows.

"Yeah."

"You sure?"

"No."

She gave him a little pat on his butt to try and cheer him up, but he stayed face down.

"It won't be forever. I'll run home as fast as I can when it's over."

"But what if you don't come home?"

"Zuko-" she scolded him, "they're not going to kill me. Stop being so dramatic."

"I'm sorry." He twisted his face to finally look at her. "You know how I can be."

"I sure do."

He grasped her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Just please be safe."

"I will." She rubbed the back of his neck. "But just remember that it's a meeting Zuko, not a mission. You were fine when I did this in Ba Sing Se."

"Not really, I was just better at hiding it then."

He watched her give him one last beautiful smile before she turned to walk downstairs and out the door.

* * *

It took her a little while to find Jinrook Lane. It seemed to be more towards the other side of town, but thankfully she still managed to arrive on time. The meeting place wasn't a bar or pub like she expected, but instead appeared to be just a regular home and she couldn't help but to feel awkward as she knocked on the door for entrance.

"Come in." She heard lightly on the other side of the wooden barrier.

She entered into a small living area with comfy chairs and decorative rug, but nobody actually sitting there.

"In here." The voice called again. It was male.

She walked further into the kitchen and found an old man she couldn't recognize. He had his back turned against her as he appeared to be preparing some sort of drink.

"I'm not particularly fond of the tea leaves grown in this area, but they do prove to be much better fresh."

"So I've heard." She claimed cautiously. She didn't recognize him as one of the members of the White Lotus that she'd met.

"You're afraid that you're in trouble from the mission." He stated calmly.

"I am. You are a member then I presume?"

"Thankfully, yes." He turned around to sit across from her at the table. She recognized him immediately now as Zuko's old traveling companion. His uncle. "I was quite surprised to discover that my nephew was aiding in such activities, but I can't say that I disapprove."

Katara stared at him, not really knowing how to respond or what to say.

"I'm Iroh." He stated, clearly trying to break the ice a little more.

"I know. I remember."

"Yes we met quite a few times in the past as I recall." His eyes lit up with the memories. "Amusing how things change, isn't it?" She nodded her head a little dumbfounded and looked down at her tea. "You've grown into a very impressive woman from what I've heard miss-"

"Does Zuko know that you're a member?" She couldn't help interrupting him. It was hard for her to believe that Zuko would neglect to tell her something like that.

He straightened a bit. "I would imagine not. Before you, I don't think he really knew about the Order at all."

She was almost afraid of this new information. "What am I supposed to tell him? I can't possibly hide this from him, he misses you like crazy."

"I wouldn't expect you to hide it." He nodded.

She took a sip of her tea- much better than the stuff she or Zuko could ever make- when she realized she was there for different reasons than she previously thought. "We're not here to talk about the mission are we?"

"Not in the slightest." He grinned.

"Then what is it that you need me for?"

"I want you to take me back to your apartment so I can talk with him."

She was a little confused. "Well… sure. But couldn't you just have come yourself? You dropped off the letter, so you clearly know where we're staying."

"No. I couldn't have."

"Why not?"

"I wasn't invited."

She gave him another long stare. He certainly was an odd old man, but she could tell why Zuko looked up to him so much.

"Well then, I guess I formally invite you."

He clapped his hands together in excitement. "Well how wonderful of you! I'll go get my things ready." He stood and left the kitchen to go shuffle some things together. "So how is traveling with my nephew?" He called from the other room. "Is he still the temperamental prince he was when I traveled with him?"

Katara could feel herself begin to blush.

"It's um… good," she stammered out. "He's…nicer." She tried not to think about the shower they took that morning.

"You didn't run into too many problems?"

"Heh." She rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "Only a few."

* * *

Zuko bounced his leg against the kitchen floor in anxious waiting as he sat and watched the front door for Katara to enter. He found himself questioning how he had become so overprotective. Katara was partially right- he wasn't as bad as this when they first started traveling together. _That's because you weren't in love with her then, _he told himself. _Or at least you didn't know it yet. _

Time never seemed to move slower. He had to get up and wash his face in the kitchen sink a few times just to keep himself from going up in nervous flames. He could feel his heart pounding in his stomach and throat. Sitting back down at the table, he tried to focus on his breathing. The full concentration on controlling his inhaled and exhaled breaths seemed to ease his mind for a while, but disappeared as he could hear someone approaching the door from outside. He felt the urge to run to the door like a pet waiting for its master, but knew that the action would only upset Katara and make her think that he wasn't trusting her as much as she wanted him to.

As the figure approached the door, he confirmed that it was her by the lightness and length of her steps, but he also noticed that she wasn't alone. He felt his shoulders tense up and prepared himself for any kind of struggle that might occur.

Katara opened the door calmly, with no sign that she was in trouble or needed help, but Zuko didn't let his guard down immediately. He strode over to her quickly to check for injuries, but she put a hand up before he could.

"No panicking. I'm fine."

"You're not alone." He pointed out and peeked over her shoulder to see who had followed her.

* * *

**AN: **Sorry for the late update. My spring break is all next week so I plan on doing a a lot of writing then. I'm gonna try and imagine a world where I could actually update more than once in one week...


	18. Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

Zuko tried to maintain as much composer as he could muster upon seeing the familiar old man begin to step through the threshold. He appeared different, but somehow exactly the same; Zuko couldn't really describe it.

No words formed. What's the first thing you say to a man you haven't seen since you betrayed his loyalty years ago? The memories came rushing back to his mind and there wasn't one that Zuko could recall where he was proud of how he treated his uncle. His heart sunk more and more as he realized that his uncle may not be there to rekindle anything with him. Iroh could resent him right now for all he knew, and Zuko wouldn't blame him, but his knees buckled at the thought regardless. At least Iroh was alive and well, deep down that was all Zuko really cared about at the moment.

"Are you well Prince Zuko?" His uncle's words were calm and professional, and Zuko could tell that he didn't need to answer his uncle; he could read Zuko's mind like an open book- a power that Zuko wished he could possess at that moment as well.

He could feel the moisture forming in his palms and between his fingers. It was like they were melting in comparison to the dryness of his mouth, but they went unnoticed after he felt Katara place a hand on his bicep and attempt to give him a little push in his uncle's direction.

Breaking out of his embarrassing stupor, Zuko did the most reasonable thing he could think of and bowed to the elder man before him, hoping that he'd understand it as a signal of both respect and apology. He rose to make eye contact with his relative, and the man's eyes seemed to be locked in some kind of gleam. He strode across the kitchen floor towards the younger general and locked him in a bear hug, which Zuko had no choice but to return full-heartedly.

"I'm so sorry Uncle. I'm sorry for everything."

* * *

Katara quietly made her way upstairs to give the two some privacy. Looking down at the bedroom floor, she decided now was a better time than any to wash their dirty clothes, not that they had that much clothing to begin with. She filled the bathroom tub with hot water and began scrubbing the fabric of Zuko's pants as hard as she could with a bar of soap. She tried to focus on getting out the minor grass stains, but her mind drifted elsewhere. What did this mean for them? Would Zuko go with his uncle now that they were together again, or would he stay with her? Of course she wanted him to stay with her, but also forced herself to say that she would support him if he chose to leave. Zuko had told her how Iroh was such a huge part of his life- practically his father- and she couldn't bring herself to separate them again, despite how much she needed Zuko. Perhaps Iroh would come with them? He might slow them down, but if it was what Zuko wanted, then she'd be willing to adjust. Or maybe the two men wouldn't stay together at all, though she found that hard to believe after they'd been away from each other for so long already. The only way she was going to find out what was in store for them was to wait and be patient.

After Katara scrubbed the rest of their clothes, she bended the water out of the stitching and hung them over the side of the tub. With her hands resting on her knees, she waited a few seconds before deciding to cautiously walk down stairs to see how the two former generals were making out.

* * *

Zuko sat at the kitchen table across from his uncle, listening intently as he described all the new kinds of tea leaves he had managed to come across in his travels over the past four years, and although Zuko was ten times more interested in how his uncle managed to hide safely from the Fire Nation for so long, he didn't dare interrupt the old man.

"…and they taste divine when mixed with a little ginseng root." He patted his stomach. "But I suppose there are more important things to talk about eh? I'm sure you have some stories of your own nephew."

"Heh. Only a few." He rubbed his palm against the back of his head, unknowingly mirroring Katara from just a few hours before, as Iroh noticed.

"Then may I suggest you start with how you came to travel with Miss Katara?"

"We… had a battle and she took me prisoner." Iroh chuckled at his nephew's humbleness in recalling the memory.

"It appears as though all has worked out though." He could tell how Zuko had grown into an older, wiser man, but somehow appeared even younger than he looked four years ago. "You seem happier."

He smiled lightly. "I am."

"And she doesn't appear to treat you like an enemy anymore."

"No… she doesn't."

Iroh became a little frustrated at that point. His nephew had greatly changed, but his willingness to go into detail certainly hadn't.

"Uncle, how much do you know about me? I mean my status in the Fire Nation."

Iroh wiped away a drop of tea that had been sliding down the side of his cup. "It's clear that you've gone missing from the Fire Nation. Some think you ran away, others presume you dead."

"And Father and Azula? What do they think?"

"I can't really say. I apologize Zuko; I don't have as much information as you require."

"No… it's fine. The Fire Nation doesn't matter that much to me anymore anyways."

"You are…giving up your title as Prince?" Iroh raised an eyebrow.

"I suppose so. I don't find myself wanting to go back to the palace anytime soon." And it was true. There was nothing there that he found himself missing except the memories of his mother, but he carried those with him.

"Perhaps you would like to accompany me then?" Iroh questioned, though he felt that he already knew Zuko's answer. "It has been quite a while since we've traveled together."

Zuko looked up from the table. He was a bit surprised and very grateful of his uncle's offer, but it didn't feel like the right thing for him to do, and he knew why. "I can't. I have to stay with Katara."

"You have to?"

"I want to."

"I see." His uncle didn't appear too surprised by his response.

"It's not that I don't appreciate your offer uncle… it's just that…" He wasn't sure how to explain it. He didn't know if he should tell his uncle how much he loved her just yet. "I need to protect her. Even if she doesn't really need it."

Iroh scratched his jaw for a few second. "I don't think that's true."

"Hmn? What's not?"

"That she doesn't need you. I think she needs you very much."

He gave the elder a suspicious look. "How do you figure?"

"Ask her yourself." He nodded for Zuko to look behind him and they listened as Katara made her way down the stairs.

"I hope I'm not interrupting." She whispered as her foot hit the bottom step.

"Not at all." Iroh smiled and made a waving motion. "Come and sit with us." Zuko pushed out the chair next to him with his foot for Katara to take. "I was just inviting Zuko to come and join me in my travels."

"Oh." She tried to sound glad despite the little deflating feeling in her heart.

"But he flat out declined."

Katara turned to look at him in surprise. "Why?"

He spoke to her swirling cerulean eyes. "Because it's important that I stay with you."

Iroh noted the increasing redness overtaking both of their faces.

"Zuko, I don't want to get in the way of-"

"I'm not leaving you." He rested his hand above her elbow. The contact made her skin jump in giddiness.

"Well then maybe General Iroh could come with us." She looked towards his uncle with a questioning look. "If he desired, that is."

"That is very generous of you Miss Katara, but I have plans of my own that I must attend to."

"Of course." She nodded in understanding. The White Lotus kept very busy.

"But we shall stay in touch." He continued. "I'm sure the Order has a lot more in store for you." She nodded again and smiled.

Realization dawned on Zuko as to how the two met. "That's who you're working for then?" He stared at her incredulously. "You're working for my uncle and you didn't even tell me?"

"I didn't know he was a member until earlier tonight."

"She was never authorized to give the name of the order. It could have put you in more danger than was necessary." Iroh added.

"That's what she kept saying." Zuko felt her rub the back of his hand under the table.

"And she was right." Katara gave him an I-told-you-so smirk. "When it was discovered that you were assisting her, I knew I had to set up a meeting and make myself known to her."

As they discussed more about their plans, Katara explained how spring would be arriving soon and that Zuko and her would be returning to the Earth Kingdom in order to reunite with the Kuro Kitsune. Zuko also retold everything they had been through in the past couple of months so far and Iroh could tell that the two fighters had obviously grown very close to one another. Zuko was going into detail about how Katara saved his life in the Southern Water Tribe when she was forced to let a yawn out.

Zuko hadn't realized how long they'd all been talking for and patted Katara's hand. "Why don't you go on up to bed Katara? You need to rest."

"Yes you do." Iroh chimed in. "Especially if you're to return to the Earth Kingdom. It's probably best that you prepare to leave here as soon as possible."

"Well, alright then…" She looked back and forth between the two men and smiled. "Good night."

"Sweet dreams Miss Katara."

They watched her walk up the steps until she was completely out of view before looking back at each other.

"Zuko…"

He looked concerned. "What is it uncle?"

"What is it that you want most in this life?" He asked in all seriousness.

"What?"

"Please answer honestly nephew."

"I- I guess to settle down and have a family of my own one day." He swirled his tea in his cup, a little embarrassed at having to admit it. "That's what most people want."

"And you want this with Katara?"

"…"

"Do you Zuko?"

Was it really so obvious? "…yes."

"Does she know this?"

"She knows that I love her…but I thought it might be a little too soon to tell her that I want to buy her a house and knock her up." Zuko was starting to get a little annoyed at his uncle's constant invasive questions, but that didn't seem to stop him.

"And does she love you in return?"

"Yes. She told me so the other night." He couldn't help but smile at the memory. "But what does all this have to do with anything?"

"It's just comforting to see that my nephew seems to have finally found some solace in his life." His eyes brightened happily. "And I'm very happy for you Zuko, just try not to get too ahead of yourself."

He drummed his fingertips against the table. "I know uncle. I'm not going to mess things up like I used to." He said with confidence.

"I am very proud of the man you have become Zuko."

Zuko eyes widened a little. It was something he'd always wanted to hear, but wasn't sure he ever would. "Thank you uncle."

The old man stretched his limbs out in his chair and began to rise. "We'll stay in touch through the White Lotus. As far as I'm concerned you're just as much of a member as Katara is now."

Zuko felt himself overtaken by a wave of surprise, followed by disappointment. "You're leaving already? You could at least stay until morning."

"No. I need to be gone by morning. He took Zuko's hand in his own. "And I have discovered everything I wanted to know."

Zuko knew he didn't have much of a choice but to agree and let the man go. "I'm glad to have found you again." He said finally before Iroh pulled him back into another hug.

"It will not be long before we meet again nephew, but until then, I give my best wishes to you and Katara."

Zuko watched as his beloved relative picked up his bags and stepped gracefully out the door.

* * *

The dishes clanged together as he sleepily placed them in the kitchen sink before trudging upstairs to join Katara.

"I thought I heard him leave." She whispered as he lay down behind her.

"He did. We'll see him again soon though."

"You're okay?"

He rested his head in the crook of her neck. "I'm very okay."

When he woke up the next morning, Katara was already up and cooking them eggs before they had to start packing up their things. They did the usual. They went into town and stocked up on some more clothes and food for their journey to the Earth Kingdom; the boat would be leaving around noon. They cleaned the apartment of any trace that they were there and spent the last hour unsuccessfully trying to think of ways to scrounge up some extra money before they had to leave for the port.

"I'm excited to see them again." Zuko referred to the KK as they set their bags down on the small passenger ship.

"I'm sure they've missed you too."

"You think?"

She walked over to the railing and looked down at their reflections in the murky water. "I could tell you rubbed off on them. It's a natural quality about you."

He was surprised to hear such a concept. "It is?"

"Yeah. People instantly want to like you." She threw a little pebble at his reflection then smirked at him playfully. "You just always have to make it so damn hard."

As he began tickling her and making her squirm, Zuko didn't really give a shit about the people nearby giving them odd looks for their laughter.


	19. Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

"How long do we have to wait here?"

"Don't be a baby. They'll start showing up soon."

The mountain range surrounding them began to glow from the rising sun behind it. The grass was cold and dewy, and Zuko's pants were getting wet from the rock he was impatiently sitting on. He didn't want to have to wait all day for the rest of the KK to show up, but Katara had insisted that they get there early. She claimed that as the leader, it was vital for her to be the first one there to welcome them back.

She tried to appease him as best she could, although she didn't really think he deserved it from his childish whining. They must have played trivia games for an hour before the first couple of men finally came. Some of them appeared to have gained weight from the holidays- something Zuko would have yelled at his men for- but Katara didn't seem to mind; as long as they could still fight well, she didn't give two shits about how proper they looked. As more men came, the hours passed faster and it made Zuko a little happy to see everyone reuniting. They all seemed so excited to be there, and it wasn't really something Zuko was used to experiencing, but at the same time he wasn't surprised. He knew how close soldiers could grow during times of war.

By the end of the day a good amount of men had showed up- almost all had returned- and Zuko was shocked to find that a lot of them actually remembered him and seemed happy to see him there. He could see now how Katara kind of viewed them as a family. He never found himself looking at his own men like that when he was still a general.

They set up camp there for the night and took turns retelling the funniest parts of their winter breaks. Even though he and Katara had decided it was best to stay quiet about their own time off, Zuko found himself feeling much more at home than he did when he first started "accompanying" the KK. There were times when he actually laughed loudly, and Katara never missed it when he did. Seeing him have a good time with them made her all the more thankful that he hadn't decided to leave when she'd first set him free from his bonds.

As Zuko listened to the other men talk about their wild adventures, particularly with women, he couldn't help but to think that his story blew all of theirs out of the water, and it made him a little annoyed that he couldn't tell it. But at the same time, he understood that Katara was their leader and needed to stay a figure of respect among them. Without even talking about it, they both knew that they'd have to start sleeping in separate tents again and reduce the amount of time they spent together. It wasn't that their relationship was a bad thing, it was just that Katara's credibility and honor was on the line, and Zuko wasn't about to let it be destroyed like his was.

A few nights later, Katara categorized some of the supplies that the soldiers had graciously brought with them when she noticed Zuko's figure walking silently under the moonlight from the corner of her eye.

_He's headed for the river. _She noted aimlessly, but then it suddenly struck her that he was probably going there to bathe. Her mind was overrun with images from the shower they had previously taken together.

_Easy Katara. Don't fall to temptation…_

She managed to repeat her mantra over and over again for a decent amount of time before she realized that they were running low on water and actually had a reason to go to the river. She grabbed a couple of water jugs and slung them over her back without hesitation.

_It's just for a few seconds. You can say hi, but then you're outta there. _

Her heart beat quickened along with her speed as she moved toward the river bank, the water jugs clanking together with each step. She was clearly making noise despite her best efforts, so it was all the more surprising when it seemed that Zuko didn't know she had arrived; he must have been in deep thought. He stood sturdily in the middle of the river, and it strangely pleased Katara to see him surrounded by her element in such a state. His body still appeared perfect to her, as she was sure it always would, no matter how many scars or dents it suffered. The tiny sounds of his hands lifting in and out of the water made Katara desperately want to be immersed in it as well, and she struggled to remind herself of her original task.

When Zuko finally turned around and noticed her stepping out of the trees, he couldn't say that he was disappointed in her. In fact, he was quite pleased that she had seemed to break their temporary platonic agreement before he did. He aimed a smirk at her direction.

"I'm just filling these…" she almost whispered as she removed the jugs from her back.

"Uh huh, sure." He tried to sound uninterested; he was good at these types of games and if she wanted to play, he wouldn't refuse.

Rapid bubbles rose to the surface of the water as she dunked one of the jugs under to fill it. Her gaze seemed a bit too focused on what she was doing for Zuko's liking, and he began making small splashing sounds to grab her attention. She refused to look up.

"Full moon tonight." He stated nonchalantly, making a small pool with his cupped hands. "Bet the water feels pretty good for you on nights like this..."

She shrugged her shoulders in response. It only made him more determined. "But I guess I wouldn't know, not being a waterbender and all…" She moved to start filling up the second jug and he turned to more desperate measures before she could leave. "Sure would be nice if someone could scrub this spot on my back. I never feel like it gets completely clean."

And he finally got her to look up at him with a bemused smirk. Her expression was practically screaming _you've got to be kidding me…_

"That's just pathetic." She said at last.

"You're one to talk. '_I'm just filling these'_ my ass."

"We really are running low on water."

He didn't respond after that and the two stared defiantly at each other for a while.

"Are you gonna come in or not?" Zuko was hanging on his last drop of patience.

"I shouldn't."

"I want you to."

She chuckled lightly "Yeah I know."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Then stop teasing me and get over here."

She tapped her foot nervously for a minute. "Only if you promise to stay quiet."

He moved his pointer finger to trace an X over the skin covering his heart and watched as she stripped her clothes off after scanning the area for a final check to make sure that they were indeed the only ones there. In reality, it had only been a couple of days since the KK reunited, but for the two of them it had felt like years since they'd had any time alone together.

He tried to pull her closer as she dipped into the river and started drifting over to him, her body moving so naturally in the water, but she started swimming circles around him, teasing him until he started to get mad and yanked on her foot to bring her tight against him.

Her skin felt smooth against his and he buried his head in in the crook of her shoulder as she lightly ran her palms up his back and across the small sunburn that had appeared behind his neck. His fingers grazed up the backs of her thighs and pressed against her rump as he made her wrap her legs around his waist while he dipped them further under the water so they could float easier together. He washed her toned arms and shoulders while she ran her wet fingers through his hair and pushed his bangs back to stay out of his face. He tried to suppress a moan while she ran her lips across the tender parts of his scar. His body temperature started to make the water steam up around them.

"I think I'm clean now." He whispered against her cheek. She turned her face to look at him. "And I'm pretty sure it's time for bed."

Without another moment gone by, he began carrying her to the shore where he slipped on his pants and let her slide on her robe before he picked her up once again and toted her in the direction of his tent. Never making a sound, he laid her gently down on his sleeping cot and placed himself above her. She pecked and nipped his bare skin while sliding his pants back off with her bare feet. He took a second to scan his eyes over every part of her perfect body before he descended down onto her.

The sun was just coming up as Katara rose out of Zuko's tent. Thankfully, none of the other soldiers ever got up this early. Zuko came out shortly after, struggling to get his shirt completely back on over his head. Even he was tired; honestly neither of them had gotten much sleep last night.

Katara made her way up the small hill toward her own tent, when her ears sensed something off in the distance. She motioned for Zuko to silently follow and they crept east a ways, keeping low to the ground. After a ways, Zuko could start hearing the noise too, and he could make out talking; definitely people nearby. When they got a little bit closer, he could even start to recognize the familiar smell of burning ash and spice jerky, and he didn't have to move any closer to realize that they were sneaking up on a Fire Nation camp.

Katara caught on quickly as well and the two laid flat against the hill side while they watched the men, searching for a reason why they might be so close. Not that it really mattered, if they had weapons and were from the Fire Nation, it was the KK's duty to take them out before they tried to hurt anyone. Zuko could see the determined look on her face as they ran back to camp to prepare the others, but before they returned, she stopped to pull him aside for a second.

"We'll have to go into battle you know." She looked at him seriously.

"I know." He ran his finger down the side of her arm, already knowing what was going through her mind. "Katara, I'd stick behind you no matter what."

She gave a small smile. "I'd rather that you fought beside me instead of behind me." She could tell he was a little confused. "As my co-leader."

"…Are you sure?"

"You are technically still a general, so you might as well act like one."

The men scrambled about, preparing their weapons and stretching their limbs, while others kept close watches on the surrounding areas. Katara paced slowly back and forth in her tent, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She didn't wear armor like the others, it only limited her waterbending and made her more vulnerable instead of protected. Zuko came in shortly after.

"Did something happen?" she asked him, observing the worried look on his face.

"No, I just…" he stepped closer to her and helped her move some hair out of her face while she tied it up in a bun "just please be careful out there."

She sighed. "I'll try Zuko, but I can only be so careful in situations like these, you know that." He nodded along grimly. "Besides, I'm more worried about you."

"Why's that?"

"I'm sure you've noticed this by now, but we're fighting Fire Nation soldiers. Are you going to be alright, battling your own people I mean? I'm not going to force you into something you're not ready to face."

The thought had already occurred to him. He didn't expect it to be easy, but if he had to choose between them and Katara, then his mind was already made up. "I'll be fine." He whispered and pecked her on the cheek before they both made their way out of the tent and called for everyone's attention.

They descended upon the Firebenders in silence. It reminded Zuko of his first encounter with the KK; how dreadful and eerie it had all felt before the actual battle. This troop was smaller, so it probably wouldn't take as much time or effort to bring them down, but he could tell that Katara was still handling the situation with the same amount of seriousness as she always did. She wasn't one to underestimate. Zuko didn't miss going into battles, but it had to be done. He promised Katara that he'd stick by her side and he'd meant it.

Once it started, it seemed to be going well. From what he could pick up around him, they appeared to be winning. He recognized some of the earthbending moves from his first battle with the KK, although they seemed admittedly less terrifying this time around, at least to him.

Zuko fought as far as his stomach would let him. He took soldiers down; knocked them unconscious so they were no longer a threat, but he couldn't bring himself to murder them. He was growing soft; he knew it, but those were men that he once honestly considered to be his own citizens- people that he had silently vowed to protect at one point in his life. He didn't think it would be this hard to take it all back, even if he had changed for the better.

He came face to face with another firebender, one that looked familiar, and after a couple more attempted maneuvers to bring him down, he recognized the man as one of the soldiers from his old troop- the one he'd abandoned in order to give himself to Katara. The soldier recognized Zuko as well, he could tell, but there were no words exchanged. There were no expressions of shock or pity among either of them, and although he didn't remember the man's name, Zuko couldn't make himself want to end his life. But apparently, his old companion didn't agree and he moved to make a final attempt on Zuko's life.

It's strange. When it feels like something is happening so slowly, and you want to move, but all you can do is watch. And as the makeshift fire-dagger glided swiftly up and then down to make a deathly blow to Zuko's chest, his frozen stature prevented him from keeping Katara from stepping out in front of him.

And after it happened, she fell so suddenly. Like the world had just slowed to a halt, then fast forwarded to a point where he couldn't make sense of what was going on. His mind stayed locked up while his body began to move at the same rate as everything else around him. As soon as she hit the ground, Zuko no longer hesitated in decapitating his old soldier. The gore of it all never made a dent; Katara was dying.

She had just come out of nowhere to take the blow for him. He fucked up and she suffered the consequences. There was a huge gash across her torso. It had only happened a few seconds ago and she was already soaked to the bone in her own blood. She wasn't responding when he kneeled down to help her; she was already unconscious and couldn't function and Zuko knew he had to get her to a water source as fast as he possibly could.

He toted her back to the river they'd bathed in only a night ago and dunked her into the current where the cleanest water streamed. He thanked the gods when the familiar glow of her healing started to spread instinctually over her chest, despite the fact that she wasn't aware of it. After a while the glowing died down and her wound seemed to have sealed up slightly, but she was still an utter mess and Zuko wasn't ready to take her out yet. She was better off in the water and he planned to hold her there until she woke up, healthy and smiling up at him.

Nearly three hours past and she still made no movement. She wasn't dead; her pulse was low, but present all the same. Zuko's body was giving in; his limbs had grown weak in the water and he couldn't hold himself steadily against the current any longer. At least it sounded like the battle was over. It had gone silent in the distance and he couldn't hear the sounds of erupting earth and painful screams like he had before. He felt like crying. Deep down he knew nothing else was going to happen if he continued to soak her in the river; the water had done as much as it could. He struggled to lift her out of the river and carry her back to camp. His legs wobbled violently and he almost collapsed with her on numerous occasions.

The men were all waiting for them. A large number of them still remained and it was safe for Zuko to assume that they had won, no thanks to him.

"Is she dead?" One of the Water Tribe men asked as Zuko carried her past them into her tent.

"No, but I can't get her to wake up. I think she's in a coma."

"What happened?" another warrior asked. "Everything was going in our favor."

Zuko didn't make eye contact with any of them. He kept his gaze glued to Katara's unmoving face. "I fucked up." He told them before entering her tent and laying her down on her cot.

No one disturbed them for a while. The men remained outside quietly, waiting for further instruction, and Zuko knew he'd have to give it to them eventually. They were saddened and confused and Katara had made it his job to fix that. If she were awake he knew she'd have them on the move again; it wasn't smart to hang around a finished battle scene like they were. The only problem was that Katara was in no condition to travel, certainly not with a targeted group.

At night he tried explaining this to the men. Already he had failed them as a leader and didn't ask that they show him respect, although they didn't appear resent him yet.

"She clearly can't fight," The earthbender Chin had spoken up among them. "She needs someplace to recover in solitary. When she wakens, she'll rejoin us."

"And where do you suggest we take her?" Zuko almost growled; the amount of anger he felt towards himself was becoming unbearable.

"There's a house hidden in the mountains about 10 miles north of here." Chin continued, "It's abandoned; no one should hurt her there."

"How do you know this?"

"It once belonged to my grandparents. They built it years ago to escape the Fire Nation raids."

Zuko rubbed his face over with the palms of his hands. "Thank you Chin."

"Will you stay with her?" another man, Ornak, questioned. Everyone looked in Zuko's direction. They weren't complete idiots; they could tell that something had obviously developed between the two.

"I can't leave her." He stared back at them the best he could. "That's why I'm leaving Chin in charge until you hear from us again."

"Really?" Chin looked amazed.

"I have already served you men poorly as a leader and I have no doubt that Chin will make a better replacement." He looked down at his hands. "And I think we might all agree that Katara needs me more than all of you do."

They nodded in solemn agreement, the loyal men that they were.

The next morning was cold and the winds were harsh. It was hard for Zuko to move his body away from Katara's. He tried pretending that she was just asleep, but it wasn't working.

The men were already prepared to get moving by the time he had gotten himself to emerge. They were heading north and Chin had agreed to lead them all until they'd reached Omashu, where at that point they'd split up and he'd send Zuko in the direction of his grandparents old home where he could safely tend to Katara.

They wrapped her up in a blanket and laid her down in one of the supply carriages. Zuko walked behind her the entire time, eyes planted on her face for any kind of sign of awakening. The march was excruciating and mostly uphill, but no one complained; no one made a sound besides the swiping of their feet against the dirty grass.

And when the time had finally come for them to split, Zuko felt comfortable leaving them in Chin's hands. He'd always displayed kindness and honor towards Zuko and the others, and he thought Katara would back his decision if she could.

"It's about a mile in that direction." Chin raised his arm to make a compass. "Like I said it's hidden, so you won't really see it until you're right on top of it."

"Thank you for this Chin."

"Good luck Zuko. We'll be expecting to hear from you."

They gave him an ostrich horse and good supply of water before they went on their way, neither of the groups looking back towards the other.

The home was in somewhat good condition. Everything was old and appeared broken, but the plumbing still worked and there was a water pump in the back as well as the remains of an old vegetable garden that he could possibly bring back to life. In its heyday the house must have been beautiful. He could almost see Katara and himself spending the rest of their lives in a place like this, secluded from everything else. Of course, he'd prefer it if she was alive for all of it.

He bathed her and fed her as best he could, but she still showed no signs of coming to. He talked to her constantly and lay by her side at night. He didn't sleep much though. Sometimes he'd find himself crying, but he felt so raw that it was often hard to tell when it was happening. He knew this was his fault. There was no excuse for both his and her suffering.

He wasn't a good nurse, but he'd do as much as he possibly could to heal her. He thought back to when she'd saved his life in the Northern Water Tribe and wondered if she had felt this much guilt and regret.

Her breathing was so soft and shallow that it scared him relentlessly. Sometimes he tried giving her mouth-to-mouth when it seemed that her heart was stopping, but it did little and he was now desperate for help. Perhaps taking her somewhere secluded was an even worse idea; there was no one to consult.

One afternoon, Zuko picked carrots from the garden that he planned to turn into soup for the two of them, but he stopped when he spotted the shadow of a hawk that had been circling him from above. He tried waving it away, but it just lowered itself closer and closer to him. When he observed it more carefully, he finally noticed the white pattern of feathers on its breast- a small splotch in the shape of a white lotus flower.

_Thank Agni, the Order is looking for us. _He almost cried. If anyone could help Katara, it was his uncle.

He called down the messenger bird and brought it inside to feed it and write a letter for its departure. He explained as best he could where they were and the condition of their situation, hoping it wouldn't be too long before they could respond with an answer and a cure. Katara's days were looking numbered and he stressed how much help they needed immediately. As soon as the letter was finished, he raveled it up and tied it to the hawk's leg, sending it away again and trusting that it knew where to go.

* * *

**AN: **I'm sorry that took super long to update. I'm figuring out how I'm gonna make all this end, so the story should start wrapping up soon. Please be patient with me. Also, thanks for 100 follows. That was my set goal from the beginning and it means so much that so many people like this story enough to want to keep track of it. And as always, thanks for reading :)


	20. Chapter 20

Her breathing had picked up into little gasps after a few days. Zuko couldn't tell if it was good or bad- she was clearly breathing regularly now, which was a good sign, but it sounded so labored and forced that he couldn't image it not hurting her.

He tried to sooth her the best to his abilities: rubbing hot wash cloths against her throat to try and easy any sore muscles. He fed her regularly, but it was often difficult due to her lack of cooperation. Sometimes it was hard for him to watch her in the state that she was in, that was until she finally started to wake up.

He nearly dropped a dish he was carrying when he entered the bedroom to find that her eyes were actually open. She tried to move, but it appeared as though she couldn't remember how. Her limbs were stiff and unwilling to comply with her demands, not to mention the huge pain still radiating from her chest. He rushed to her side in an instant and kissed her furiously before forcing her back down to rest.

"Oh Gods, you scared the shit out of me Katara. I love you, but don't you ever fucking do that to me again…" he kept rambling on to her, but she only picked up about half of his words. She wasn't healed, but at least she showed improvement. Perhaps Zuko wasn't as useless as he assumed himself to be after all.

But helping her continued to be difficult. He was forced to watch her cringe in pain every time he tried to wash and re-bandage the gash across her torso. Her moans of agony often woke him up in the middle of the night and he couldn't go back to sleep even after he managed to lull the pain out of her with somewhat-comforting words. When she had first woken up, Zuko was ecstatic to see that she was pushing further away from death, but for some reason she seemed in even more pain now then she had been before and the guilt started to swallow him up once again. He prayed that the White Lotus would respond soon with assistance.

Even though Katara remained largely unresponsive, she was thankful for Zuko's care and patience. As the pain continued to surge through her body, she was calmed by the sound of his voice, even if she couldn't make out what he was actually saying. She could faintly feel the times when he'd squeeze her hand or kiss up and down her neck to ease her. Zuko was clearly not a doctor, but Katara held no doubts that she would survive in his care. She trusted him more than she had trusted anyone in a very long time.

* * *

Zuko stepped out of the bathtub, dripping wet and too tired to dry himself off or even wrap a towel around his waist. He moved to view himself in the bathroom mirror before anything else and gazed at the dark bags developing under his eyes. He needed to sleep, but the fear of leaving Katara unattended for too long overwhelmed him. But still, it was unavoidable. He couldn't just refuse to sleep, his body wouldn't allow it. He managed to just barely dry himself off and dress before intending to fix a place to sleep by Katara's bedside.

"It's not as bad as he'd made it sound in the letter." Zuko heard a deep voice coming from the other side of the bedroom door. He'd never even heard someone come into the house. He slammed the door open, ready to weakly fight off any unwelcome intruder, only to find himself extremely relieved by the sight of his uncle and Master Piandao examining the state of Katara's condition.

"Ah, there you are nephew!" his uncle smiled lightly. "Hope you don't mind that we let ourselves in. Your message sounded quite urgent."

"Will she be alright?" Zuko questioned, not meaning to disrespect his uncle, but not willing to make small talk either.

"It appears so." Piandao claimed, hovering his face over Katara's wounded chest, a bit too closely for Zuko's liking. "You've done well in managing the injury, but we've brought the medicine that will heal her completely."

"We'll get started immediately." Iroh patted his nephew on the shoulder. "Why don't you put on a shirt and have a seat next to the bed Zuko? You look exhausted." Zuko could only nod in agreement. These men clearly knew what they were doing more than he was; it was only fair to Katara to leave her in their hands now. He did what he was told and slipped on a loose shirt, taking the desk chair and sliding it next to Katara's side so he could hold her hand while the others worked to heal her. Iroh watched his nephew give his partner a tender kiss on the temple and smiled in fascination before heading into the kitchen to start boiling the medical herbs they'd brought.

Piandao already began outlining the wound with ointment, which must have burned on contact by the type of reaction it brought out of Katara.

"Careful!" Zuko barked at Piandao while rubbing Katara's arm to try and stop her from writhing. The sword master looked back at him with a weary look.

"I don't want to see her in pain any more than you do, but this is what it takes," he squeezed more ointment out onto his hand. "She'll be alright. She's tough and the stinging resides quickly."

Zuko leaned back into his chair in defeat. He didn't need someone else telling him that Katara was strong. He knew her strength better than anyone else could ever know, but instead of arguing with Piandao he settled for focusing on Katara. He let her squeeze his hand as much as she needed, even if she was starting to bruise some of his hand bones. Thankfully, after a short while she started to become more tolerant to the treatment.

Iroh later came out with an herbal tea, helping Katara swallow it sip by sip until her muscles completely relaxed. It wasn't until then that Zuko felt himself begin to doze off himself.

* * *

He awoke to the feeling of soft skin grazing against his cheek. He shook, confused by the darkness that had taken over the room; nothing but a few lit candles allowed his eyes to adjust. He must have slept for a while if it was already the middle of the night. He pinched at the bridge of his nose in response to the headache already surfacing to the back of his head and the stiffness in his neck. But the light giggle that sounded from the bed instantly overclouded his pain. He looked up to watch Katara smile at him and try to push his bangs off of his forehead.

"I'm sorry to wake you but I was growing tired of waiting." She whispered somewhat sorely.

"I'm glad you did." He almost laughed and placed head down next to hers against her pillow, their noses brushing as he kissed her cheek and lips. "You look much better." He said, pulling his mouth away.

"Thanks to you." She twined her fingers in his. "Piandao said I'll be up and fighting again soon."

"It was him and my uncle that got you better."

"But it was you that kept me alive for them to do so." Her eyes shined brightly in the candlelight as she shifted further away on the bed and smoothed her hand over the spot next to her. "Come here." She tugged on his arm to bring him into bed with her.

Zuko didn't hesitate in doing what he was instructed. As he carefully slid under the covers beside her, she rested her head in the crook his neck and attempted to wrap a leg around one of his own.

"It's my fault you ended up like this." He claimed apologetically.

"Zuko, don't start with that." She cut him off. "Stuff like this isn't anyone's fault. This is what happens in war, you know that."

"Then I don't want to be in a war anymore." He hugged her tighter. "Let's just go away and stay somewhere safe together. Away from all this." He wasn't shocked by her answer.

"We can't do that Zuko. We can't just run away. Not yet at least."

"When then?"

"When the world doesn't need us anymore." She yawned, her eyes now closed.

Zuko knew he had to drop the issue. It wasn't important at the moment and Katara needed to rest. He didn't ever want to see her in danger again, but he knew that wasn't possible as long as the war still raged on. And he was certain that Katara would never stop fighting as long as she had arms and legs to bend with. There would be no talking her out of it. If he ever wanted to assure her safety and their lasting happiness, they would have to go on a little longer. If he could find a way to end the war, then perhaps Katara would finally be comfortable settling down with him. He made a note to talk to his uncle about it in the morning, but for now they both needed to sleep. He nestled in closer to her warmth, listening contently to the sound of her steady, slumbered breaths.

* * *

**AN**: I know this chapter is super short and I haven't updated in like a month, but I'm going to try and work on this a little bit every day so I can start updating as much as possible. I have off work on Tuesdays and Wednesdays so those will probably be the most likely update days. Thank you all for being patient with me. :)


	21. Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

"There has to be some way to end this now Uncle." Zuko rubbed his eyes and rolled his breakfast around with his fork. "It's unnatural for a war to go on this long."

"These things take time Zuko."

"It's been going on for over 100 years now. I think the world's waited long enough."

The old man scratched at his chin. "Then what do you plan to do about it Prince Zuko?"

Zuko dropped his fork and attempted to massage his temples. "I don't know." He moaned. "They are my family, but they've got to be stopped."

"And what will you do to stop them?"

"I don't know!" He slammed his fist down on the wood table, but regretted it immediately. "I don't know…"

Iroh sat back and watched the internal struggle overtaking his nephew. Such a subject was hard for Iroh to discuss as well, as they were just as much his family as they were Zuko's, but the pressure imposed on the younger general to become the next Fire Lord clearly still hung heavily on his shoulders.

"What did Miss Katara suggest?"

"I haven't really talked about it with her. I kind of want her to just focus on healing right now."

"That's good… yes that's good, but when the time comes you have to discuss it with her. From what I can see, she's playing as much of a part in this as you are."

"I know Uncle."

* * *

Zuko slouched slightly in his seat by Katara's bedside while she slept. Turning his head to catch the view outside the window, he could see the yellow outline of the sun around the trees that blocked it. The wind blew cool and soft, but managed to pick up a light layer of dirt from the garden and spread it into the air like dust. He thought it smelled like the sea even though the coast remained miles away.

"You have something on your mind."

He hadn't even realized that she'd woken up. She still laid peacefully in the bed, her pillow shaping comfortably around her head. Her face had returned to its normal plumpness and the light pink tint began to return to her nose and cheeks. He leaned down and stole a kiss before she could say anything more.

"Go back to sleep." He commanded.

Her eyes shot him an annoyed squint in retaliation. "I can only sleep so many hours at a time Zuko." He watched her lips tug into a small frown. "What's going on?"

He sighed and scratched the back of his head. "I don't know what to do."

"About what?"

"The war." He stared at his fingers. "I don't know how to stop it."

Her eyes widened a little at his words. He'd never been so forward when discussing the topic.

"There are no definite answers when it comes to war Zuko."

"I wish there were." He scooted closer to her side and placed his palm on the inside of her thigh. "I don't want this to happen to you again."

Katara huffed and rubbed some gung from her eye. "Well, we know the KK is waiting for us to rejoin them. Once we do, we can figure out something from there."

"Like what Katara? What are we going to do? Demolish troops one by one until there's literally no one left to fight? I don't think that tactic has worked for anyone before." He heard his own voice cracking and coughed in attempts to hide it. "It helps out the cause, but it's not going to put an end to anything in the Fire Nation."

"What are you saying? You want to go to the capital?"

"Frankly I'm surprised _you _haven't suggested it yet."

She picked herself up on her elbows, watching him with concern. "I didn't know if you'd be comfortable with that…"

"I still don't know if I'm comfortable with it," he could feel his heart lightly thumping against the inside of his chest. "but what else are we going to do?"

She eyed him questioningly. "I've never seen you so eager about this before."

Zuko took a breath. Perhaps it was time to confess. "I want…to have a normal life with you- if you'd allow me to. I don't always want to be running; whether I'm being chased or I'm one doing the chasing. I mean, I'd follow you anywhere and you know that, but I'm so tired Katara." He didn't look up to see her reaction; his focus remaining entirely on his palms. "I don't know if it's what you want too, but I just keep dreaming that you and I could have something so much better…something easier. And I'm never going to be able to settle down and have peace until the war is over and we're not constantly hiding anymore."

She took in every word he said. His voice continued to shake the more he spoke and Katara couldn't help but love him for being so vulnerably honest with her. He hadn't realized it, but his leg was rapidly bouncing up and down, waiting for her response. And what was her response? She did love him and wanted him to be as happy as he could possibly be. To be truthful, his speech made her feel more guilty than anything else. She hadn't realized how truly exhausted he was of following her around. It wasn't like he had many more appealing options, but she felt disappointed in herself for assuming that he found happiness in the same ways that she did. And he deserved more. He'd waited long enough for a normal life. It only made sense that he would desire a life that was never really available to him, and now that it was finally possible, Katara could only encourage him to go after it.

And she would go with him too. If they really could put an end to the war, then she wouldn't really have anything to keep fighting for. She had thought about going home, but the idea wasn't as tempting as it should have been. Staying with Zuko on the other hand somehow felt right. But that didn't stop the fact that he was still heir to the throne. If it came down his father having to be killed, would Zuko even be allowed to live the normal life that he wanted?

Regardless of how things ended, Katara knew Zuko was right. The war couldn't end if they didn't take more serious measures to stop it and they couldn't keep waiting on someone else to get the job done for them. And honestly, she was getting tired of hiding too. Maybe it was finally time to finish what she and Aang were supposed to do four years ago.

"I don't want to hide anymore either." She answered him at last. "But I don't think you and I are going to be able to do this by ourselves."

"No. You're right."

She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "Everything's going to be fine." She smoothed her palms over his shoulders to stop his body from humming. "Let's go figure something out."

* * *

Katara wasn't sure how much of a plan they'd be able to come up with had Iroh and Piandao not agreed to help them. Their knowledge was indispensable. Between the three men there was little chance that they wouldn't be able to sneak into the palace. But they still needed more help and Katara was more than willing to send messages to Toph, Sokka, and the KK requesting their assistance.

And although their plan was coming together, she couldn't help but worry about Zuko. It couldn't have been easy for him to make the decision to finally stand against his family, but she wouldn't address it with him in front of the others. Somehow she could tell that he was struggling. He seemed to lose himself in deep thought more and more with the passing days, but even though they never spoke of it, he knew that Katara understood him in return. Even though Zuko still held fond memories of his family, he knew they would never willingly stop the war or step off the throne. There was no other way but to remove them personally himself. He cared for Katara and his Uncle more than he cared for his father and sister and if this is what he had to do to ensure their safety and happiness, he'd go through with it.

In the evening the four of them sat at the kitchen table, mainly awaiting the responses of Katara's extra help. While Piandao and Iroh seemed to ramble on about the old days, Zuko kept his eyes on the woman across from him. Her long brown hair lay tossed over her shoulder, leaving the other one completely bare for him to admire. Her pointer finger drew circles around the rim of the cup in front of her. Yes, it was worth it. He'd put an end to the war for good if it meant that he's be able to see her like that every day.

He recalled a conversation he'd had with Iroh. How he'd try to help stop the war and avoid being Fire Lord all together. There was no way that he and Katara would be able to live quietly if he took the throne after his father, but he'd figure something out; he'd find someone who would do the job much better than he ever could. Originally, he had asked Iroh to take his place, but the old general had refused, saying that the nation needed someone younger with new ideas. "You must do what you know is right Zuko." He had said.

The sound of a glass being set down on the table snapped Zuko's attention back to the present. He smiled as Katara looked at him curiously and mouthed 'love you' to him before anyone else could notice.


End file.
